Thank you very much for ruining my life!
by Eatmykimchi
Summary: Legolas was betrothed from birth to a young elleth he grew to love. Or so he thought. His emotions are being challenged when trouble, and an ex, come along to the palace with his future wife while he is struggling to get his diva of a father to recognize his potential. Happens after Lotr. T for now but will change to M for mature scenes in the future Legolas/OC, ELrohir/OC, OC/OC,
1. Chapter 1: There she comes

**Chapter one: There she comes**

Legolas actively looking outside through one of the palace's windows. It was that time of the year again. **She **would arrive any seconds now; He would great her with a warm smile, lead her to apartments, present her to his people again and pretend they were already a happily married couple. Married? They were not _-yet_. Happy? They were very much so. They weren't born that their parents had arranged for them to be **happy** together. Each year, at the beginning of autumn she came to the Green Woods to spend a few months with him. Eventually, they began to develop feelings for each other.

Yes. She made him very happy. She made him laugh like no else could; her sense of humour was refined and uncommon. She also took great care of him; she did whatever was needed – in the measure of the possible and the reasonable- to insure his well being. And she was beautiful too, with her thin lips, slender figure and long shiny brown hair. However, what he like most about her was the way she made him feel. He felt relaxed with her, on a little cloud up in the sky where no one could touch them and from which he could protect her. Contrary to every one else, **she** made him feel like a man, not like an elfling.

Every one else saw him as a child. First out of all, was his father. He wouldn't let him in the council even thought he was the prince, had proven himself very capable by joining the fellowship and had been an an adult for a more than 2000 years old. What more did he expect from him?

Then, every single elf around him cocooned him. Most did it because Thranduil ordered them too (he loved his darling son above anything else after all) but the rest, they did it because as their prince he was precious. Therefore to be treated like newborn, like he could break at any moment. In short he was prince that no one would let exercise his function. It was like being given beautiful red apple and being forbidden to eat it. What was the point of all that?

Still looking through the window, he felt something creep inside of him. It was not a pleasant feeling. He'd just remember what the king told him. "She will have a rather _special _escort bringing her here this year.". The he'd had emphasized the word 'special' had bothered him from the moment he heard it. '_Special. Special. __**Special**__. 'A __**rather special**__ escort_'.

True, since Sauron's fall the forest had become infested by orcs. Some were spotted at the border a year ago, others in the forest a few months ago, and three weeks before today, scouts had found and killed orcs deep in the forest. Still, her father would NEVER send her here with a troop of blood thirsty assassins. Then again, his father would never sound so stressed about an escort if it was a normal one.

Legolas frowned. Once again he was kept in the dark by the council and his father about **obviously** important things to come. He knew it: trouble was coming to his very door.

THOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooo!

'The horn. She will be arriving soon'.

Legolas ran as fast as he could down the stairs, out of the palace, from the inner court to the outer court to finally reach the gates. He wanted to be the very first person his betrothed would see.

On his way down he passed Galdor, his father closest friend, and Ólion, his closest friend. The older elf couldn't help but laugh at the impatience brought by youth while still holding Ólion's hear firmly. The younger elf surely skipped another one of his patrol to flirt with some random elleth again.

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The gates opened. A surprisingly large group of riders hiding their identity under hoods came. The very few of them who weren't hiding their face were wearing hardened a expression over their unusual dark skin. The gates closed.

The heavily armed man riding up front screamed something short and melodious on a harsh tone, as if to give an order. In a precise synchrony, all the others got down their horses and hurried themselves to the arrangement of a camp. They acted as thought each one had been appointed to a specific task despite the fact that the heavily armed man only spoke a few words. A small group unloaded the horses, another passed the bags to a third who brought them where the camp was to be made and a last one mounted tents. The rest took care of the horses once unburdened. They worked like ants. They were so efficient that what Legolas had done by his unit in 3 hours would be covered in one.

Since he'd been standing right in front of the gate when they entered, the prince was caught in the middle of this very 'special' escort indeed. He was confused as to why those hostile looking people were here. For a second, he thought they were men, for he'd never heard of dark skinned elves before. Then he noticed all their ears were pointed.

'Their hair is dark short and curled.' Most of them took off their cloaks to reveal they wore no shirt under it, and walked around shamelessly showing their well built bodies and scars. 'Their dressing code is strange. Even their height and body shapes are different from ours. They're a lot wider, and many are as tall as Galdor'. The blond elf rotated his body a bit more to look around him. As he scanned them closely he noticed something else. 'Even the women look different. Their faces are less gracious and their traits are... somehow masculine. But their bodies... my god! Did they all recently gave birth to have hips that wide and thighs that strong?! I bet demography is not something they have to worry about! Who on Arda are those people?!'

So lost he was in his observation that he did not see a fair skinned elleth approach him from the height of her beast until it blocked his view of the traffic.

"_ My lord, I understand your astonishment, but you should keep your mouth closed. Else you might end up swallowing a fly."

At the sound of the soft mocking voice, Legolas smiled and began to raise his head up to meet her eyes.

"_ I believe, my lady, that the flies are too busy flying around your hor-"

When he saw her, his mouth opened in surprise for the second time today. Her gown was brown of dirt and her hair: a mess. His bewildered expression turned into a worried one.

"_ My Lady, are you all right? Were you attacked on your way here?

"_ 'Attacked' is a big word, my Lord. A tiny bit mistreatedwould be more accurate. But worry not for I am not hurt.

"_Mistreated? Please, explain!" He hold out his hand and griped her waist to help her down her horse. When she was on both her feet, he took her hands in his in a compassionate gesture while she spoke:

"_ Only a little bit. I do not believe it was intended as their culture and habits are very different from ours. And it is already forgiven!". She smiled at him.

"_ In what culture is mistreating a Lady a little bit an honourable action? For you to be in such a state, something must have happened."

"_ Well, it seems that in our Avari friends' culture what-"

"_ Avari?" His face went blank. He knew about them. He was told all that was known about them when he was a child, including that they disappeared thousands of years ago and were never seen again. How could there be so many standing in front of him right now?

"_ You didn't know?"asked Nellil, tearing the prince out of his thoughts.

"_No, I did not know." he dropped her hands and frowned his brows. "As I told you the precedent years, my father puts a lot of effort into keeping me ignorant of any important matter about the realm and its visitors." He paused the time to take a quick breath, hide his disappointment, and started again "I do not understand why would your father put you into their care?"

"_ They seem hostile but they aren't bad people, you know. Father told me they were men worthy of their words and accepted missions in exchange of favours. So I suppose they agreed to accompany me here in exchange of something else."

It wasn't much, but her father had told her more about the Avari than his ever did. Including that they were a very much alive race...

'Why? Why doesn't he trust me more?' He sighed. He would have to talk to him later; nothing could be done about the matter at the moment.

" _You still haven't told me what happened to your dress, Lady Nellil."

As she heard the indirect question she frowned a little bit. It seemed that he would not be dropping the subject until she spoke about the incidents.

She had hoped he would forget about the subject. The Avari had just resurfaced out of nowhere! Blaming one of them for such a futile issue would only dig the distance between the two tribes of elves.

"_The Avari maid who was tasked to care for me was...a little brusque." Legolas's frown deepened. "She seemed really young, my Lord, I do not think she had any experience of the sort before. Do not blame her.". She pleaded.

He did not seem satisfied by this explanation.

"_ What exactly did she do?"

After she explained in detail her misadventures with the brusque maid, the prince had one of his maid accompany the fair lady to her rooms. Now reassured, after being told the whole story, but outraged by the maid's actions, Legolas decided to ask the Avari troop's Captain to ensure she would be sanctioned for it. All he had to do was to gather his guts and dare to approach the man who screamed in an unknown language at the foreigners arrival.


	2. Chapter 2: The brusque maid

**Chapter two: The brusque maid**

After over hearing a part of the discussion between Nellil and the blond person she was talking too, Sui ran to Mhélir.

"__I can't believe she's complaining about the journey. Those are dangerous times to go around middle earth._" pouted the ridiculously small elleth.

"__Oh cut the crap with me, will you, and go the point?_" The elf knew her very well. There was always something hidden in what she said.

"__My point is that if she weren't ready to be a little shaken up, then she should have stayed home!"_She exclaimed as she gesticulated her hand angrily.

"__You're right. The part where she was 'a little bit shaken up' couldn't have been avoided._"He waited for her to nod. It took him about 2 hundred years but he could now anticipate all her reactions. She nodded , so he continued."_It's not at all like when she asked you for some food, you gave her a dead squirrel and when she asked you for some help to get down her horse you pushed her down the first time and pulled her ankles the time after that..."_

Sui growled in disapproval. He was making fun of her. Again.

"__Yeah...well, a squirrel is meat isn't it? And who the hell asks for help to get off a horse? Seriously, if you can't climb it down then don't freaking get on it in the first place!"_

He sighed.

"__You just can't admit when you are wrong, can you?_"

"__I can when I am. And clearly, right now, I am not._"

On that note, she put her nose high up and turned briskly to leave. She could be so condescending when confronted with her wrongs. She'd always take it personally, get offended and most of the time plan some sort of vendetta. It was no wonder why people didn't want to get on her wrong side seeing as she treated her friends as any lambda person would an enemy. How would she treat someone if she really disliked them?

After walking no more that two steps Sui was grabbed violently by the collar and brought right back to the exact place she attempted to leave.

To her un-welcomed surprise, it was not Mhélir she saw when she turned around to see her assailant. Her dear friend had run away as soon as he had spotted the danger.

"_ **That** , your highness, I believe is the 'maid' you are looking for."said Alkien on an accusing tone. "Now girl,"half screamed the Avari Captain "I hear the Lady Nellil, was somehow 'mistreated' by the person in charge of caring for her during her trip here. Explain yourself THIS INSTANT!".

The prince just stood there, letting a tiny feeling of guilt take over him as the small elleth's dark skin whitened with fear. By finding the captain and asking to have a talk with the maid, he'd only just hopped to have her scared a little, not get her into trouble and even less to frighten her so.

"_Your highness," she bowed before gathering herself all together and reorienting herself to face Alkien. "_There must be a misunderstanding, for I believe I only did what was asked from me._" was her bold answer.

"_So you deny bringing Lady Nellil a dead squirrel when she asked you to fetch her some water and and bring her some food?" He raised his left eyebrow at the same time he spoke. He always raised his left eyebrow when something was getting on his nerve.

"_No. I am simply saying that a squirrel _is_ food, Sir." she declared as if it was the most normal thing that could be answered.

_'Fuck! I'm gonna get my ass kicked again. Stupid princess with her stupidly stupid numerous stupid requests!'_

Legolas' mouth opened in shock. She had bigger balls than anyone he knew. That man was a giant moulded by years of expertise in killing and made of, clearly, close to twice her weight in muscles. Yet, she persisted on unnerving him. Undoubtedly, that was the most unwise choice possible: nothing good would come out of acting like that- and whatever would happen would be his fault in part. He really should have confronted her alone instead of asking her Avari Captain to regain the little honour his lady lost because of the girl's actions. However, as much as he felt guilty, he couldn't help thinking that she deserved whatever was coming for her attitude. She needed to be taught a lesson. And a good one. Didn't she have parents to teach her respect?

The second the words left her mouth, Alkien tightened his grip on her.

Who did she think she was? She was a simple trainee in his unit because out of pity -and a bit out of affection too, although he would never admit it- he'd allowed her to join it. No one else would train her. She was too reckless, insolent and above anything else, way too disobedient. And now there she was, standing, defying his authority **once more**, after he'd done her such a favour. And on top of all, doing so in front of the -speechless- Prince of Eryn Lasgalen. It was more than lacking respect to him. It was too much. She would **not** get away with it.

"_You should train on sharpening the poor skills you have with blades instead of wasting your energy on using your tongue unwisely." His tone was colder than his stare- if that was even possible. "You'll be punished for that. You will-"

"__But it's true_, a squirrel **is** food! _And what did you expect?! _I'm no maid! I'm a warrior! _There was no way I could have done a good job even if I wanted to -and you know I __**tried**__ to__**!" **_she moved her hands to emphasize on how obvious what she was saying was. "_But she had too many ridiculous requests_. Perhaps if she weren't so sugar-coated" she began, giving a quick look at the prince, "she would know how to take care of herself !"

Half of it, the prince didn't understand since she spoke in her mother tongue and it was the first time he'd ever heard the Avari language (hell, a few minutes ago, he didn't even know Avari weren't an extinct tribe.) However the last part he understood very well. He could feel through the tone she had used that it was directed to him. '_The bitch!'_ She was blaming him, **the prince, **onthatdistastefultone** and** insulting his future wife. He would punch her right there, at this very moment, was he sure that for doing so he wouldn't be instantly beaten up by the other Avari around.

Alkien turned red. The fire he was about to give birth to would do more damage that all the fire that ever burned in the land of Mordor. How many time would she have to be told, and disciplined before she understood the concept of shutting her mouth and accepting her responsibilities instead of spitting more absurdities?!

The girl too, as much as she tried to hide it, was angry. Not quite as mad as the giant or the prince but revolted by the idea of being reproached her actions. Obviously, she felt Alkien was being unfair with her. After all, **he ** appointed her to that task, knowing **very well** she wasn't the type to watch her movement in a porcelain shop. Nope. Delicate, that, she wasn't, had never been nor would ever be.

As the Captain opened his mouth to kill Sui with words, Legolas beat him to it. Him too desired for no more than to get revenge on the girl for all her unjustified barking. And given that he couldn't give her the smack she deserved now, he would bite her as hard as he could with what he had planned. She was prideful. Way too much to his taste. He would beat that pride to the ground and piss on it.

"_Captain!"

Alkien moved his face to look at the smaller man. He wasn't in the mood to listen to anyone any more so the prince too had better pick his words carefully.

"_If you allow me, I would like to chose the punishment she'll endure for her misconduct."

"_HEY! 'my lord'"she interrupted aggressively. How much worse did she plan on aggravating her case? "I am _**Avari**_. Apart from **my **king and **his** family, the people I answer to are **PROUVED** warriors, not Mirkwood's blond princes I **NEVER **heard about."

They both chose to ignore her. At this point, if they didn't, they'd leave her body cold on the floor.

"_Forgive me my Prince, but I do not believe you would know how to deal with such a-" he paused not sure what to call the elleth. "hysteric _fougocokohergara. _I apologize for all the commotion she cause and promise that she will pay accordingly for it._" _

_'Did he just called me a fucker in Orchish?!'_

_'Did he just called her a fucker in Orchish?!'_

"_You have no need to apologize, I do not hold you responsible for her outburst. However, I believe that she would resent her sanction a lot more if some 'Mirkwood prince', who she does not recognize as a warrior, was to come up with it and to see it executed.

Alkien smirked. The prince was cunning under his candid appearance. He had only been around the beast a few minutes but he already knew how to grab its horns to bring it back to the road. Or so he thought. As much as Alkien wanted to deny him his request, he knew very well that if he did, he would be lacking respect to the prince as well as hurting his pride.

_'So be it. This will be both their punishment' _he thought. Hers, for loosing control over herself one too many times, would be to be ordered around by (who she thought was) a non warrior -a great shame for an Avari. His, for being too sure of himself and not listening to the wiser elf, would simply be to endure her company. She will be despicable with him. The Captain was certain of it.

"_She is all yours my prince. Please, make sure it lasts at least a week. I will have her wait for you here at the first light tomorrow."

On that note, the prince thanked the giant and excused himself to the palace.


	3. Chapter 3: Still Powerless

_Yrsh = _sindarin for orcs

"_Avari tongue_"

"sindarin"

'_thoughts'_

Let me know if something isn't clear!

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**Chapter 3: Still powerless **

The night was calm. The Avari had been long done building they camp and now sat, tired, in small groups around flamboyant dancing flames. They talked with low voices as if to not disturb the trees and alert the wind. On the left, the discussion resolved around how wild and rare this realm was and on the right, multiple things were being criticized. The mixing of all the conversations resulted in nothing else but a confusing brouhaha. However so musical and rhythmic was the Avari tongue that to the curious wood elves hiding around to observe the strange half naked individuals, that it seemed they were murmuring a soft song in round.

Some were still eating. Of course, among those was Geldrik The Colossal, as tremendous as ever in height and width, still covered by tattoos, still eating the horse that had died on the journey. He'd almost finished it by now. The whole horse. All by himself. No one knew what his limit was when it came to eating. The average Avari had 5 meals a day in order to prevent their mass from diminishing; The Colossal had one every 3 hours. In all:8 heavy meals in 24 hours. The dark elf was an ogre!

Those who were neither conversing or eating were sleeping. And not in the elf fashion: in trance with opened eyes, not moving to rest the body, but in the human fashion: eyes shut tight, snoring, dreaming, moving. But they did not need to sleep that way all the time; only now and then; when both flesh and mind were sore. It is an evidence that from the day they disappeared, until now, they had evolved in a stranger manner than the other elves. They had gone somehow wilder, and mortal in the habits.

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Sitting somewhere around one of the small fires, Albien, pushing a curl from the side of his head that wasn't almost shaved back, gave up on reasoning with the brusque 'maid'.

"__Oh, fuck you! You had it coming!_" The light emanating from the fire shone on his strong torso and accentuated his features, making him look angrier than his was. "_You know __**very well**_ _travelling gets him in 'the mood' and still you- ._" He stopped mid sentence as he saw Sui cracking a malicious smile at his statement.

Mhélir face-palmed himself and sighed. Even in trouble she had time to laugh at stupidities like these. She never worried about anything, even when she should.

"__Not that kind of mood_." he added dryly to what Albien had previously said.

Albien did not talk again and still sitting, slowly took his sword in one hand and a knife in the other. Mhélir looked at the other elves sitting with them. Only the two youngest were paying attention to what they had been talking about and seemed to take part for the girl. Sui wasn't completely wrong. If Nellil wasn't non-avari royalty she would have had to catch and cook the her food by herself, like they had too, and did. Also, having their friend work under the order of someone who's fighting abilities had never been heard of was inconceivable. Waaaaaay too harsh of a punishment. Insulting!

Alkien usually forgave her temper quickly because she was only 276 years old. Still a child according to Avari standards. But the captain had been on her back for about 3 months now. He couldn't bring himself to forgive her for running around deep in FellSvosgee, their underground hidden forest, by herself, at night, without telling anyone where she was going, fully conscious that the wood had become very dangerous as of late. He considered her his daughter, and she had scared the hell out of him when she did that. What kind of father wouldn't be angry if their child deliberately put their life in danger like this because 'they had dropped something during the patrol and wanted it back'?

"__So... you won't help me get back to his bright side..._" she murmured, head down, sadness filling her voice.

"__Of course not!_" he raised his head from his blades to look at his sister from other parents. "_Father is so mad he has sharpened his sword until the blade of his knife became almost smooth!_"

_'And the same will happened to your knife, Albien, if you don't relax. Jeez, the apple really doesn't fell far from the tree sometimes!' _she mentally told herself.

"__He is overreacting" _Mhéléane, Mhélir's younger sister, finally shyly stepped into the argument. She was a real brat, but was impressionable when it came to socializing. Talking to the imposing Albien, her Captain's son (on which one they all **thought** she secretly had a crush), was always a challenge for her despite the fact that they had always been part of the same group of friends.

"__She insulted her Captain and 2 members of the wood elves Royalty!_" he jerked back, looking at the shy elfling who now felt challenged.

"__Aye, she can be punished for answering back to your father. That was stupid,_" she gave a quit judging and mocking look at Sui before going on. " _but since WHEN do we owe any respect to non-fighters! Have you seen the elf?! I'm only a trainee but he is __sooo_ _slender_ _that,_ _**I,**_ _just might be able to kick his ass."_

"__Their royalty do NOT gain respect through fighting._" He calmly answered. He was the oldest around. 2721 years old. He had to be more mature than they were. Besides, having another elleth causing a tantrum would intensify his headache. Avari women were too stubborn and hotheaded in his opinion. He sighed and started again. " _Kids, we just came out of nowhere. They have weird customs, that I do not understand either but remember, we __**have to**_ _make it work with them if we want to reach our goal. You all," _he pointed at them all, but stopped on Sui. "_and especially you, focus on that. And remember that we are as weird to them as they are to us.". _

Sui frowned, mumbled something no one could quite catch and spoke up.

"__How could what I could do blow it for everyone ?" _She asked, truthfully not sizing the situation. "_If I am the only one who __**inadvertently**_ _cause any more trouble to happen, I should be the only one paying for it. Why would they blame you all too?"_

She was looking at him with a serious expression, waiting for an explanation. Albien sent a look of distress to Mhélir. He knew that if he was to answer now, despite the fact that it was a well intended question and that she finally accepted what was coming to her, he would scream. He had run out dry of patience for the youngsters to grasp the situation.

"__Sui,_" Mhélir rescued the Captain's son "_like Albien said, the way they govern and their social codes are billions years away from ours. And since we don't know how they will react to what, it's simply wiser __**not to be reckless**_ or_ provoke or insult them in any possible way. In other words, you play it low when they're around ."_

When he finished talking, he looked intensely at both Mhéléane and Sui. As one looked annoyed and the other unconcerned by this speech, he decided to clear one more thing for them: " _And if you don't think yourselves capable of doing so, you can either avoid the wood elves by staying in the camp or..__**go back home**__."_

At that they both opened their eyes wide. He'd convinces them to behave. They did NOT want to go back. The others would make fun of them for being weak and home...well..now on day, for inexperienced trainees like them it had become like a prison. They couldn't get out of the secure perimeter after some hours, when they could go out they couldn't be alone and every two days they had to report that they were still alive to one of the council's members.

Albien too reacted to the mention of **going back home**. Sadness peered in his eyes as he drowned deeper in his memory and put his blades back to his belt.

The rest of the night was spent in silence. None of them had neither the heart or the strength to keep arguing. Instead, they hummed old songs from home together, and shared their 5th meal of the day.

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In the mean time, dinner had ended at the great Elven King's table. He had a selected few of the woodland realm's elite to join his table in order to greet his delicious future daughter in law. It was the same process every year. The council and their family joined, along with a few other high elves. The same people came.

Only the food changed. Oh! The food! Even if the gods had a word to describe it in their language, it would never do justice to how exquisite it tasted. Each bite was like a paradise of dancing flavours emerged out of thin air before melting amorously and being gluttonously swallowed. And the wine! Shining red, and tenderly biting! So easy to drink that one Thranduil's advisor had had 9 glasses before eating, forcing himself to retire early because of drunkenness. It was a treacherous ambrosia. There was no sweetest betrayal.

However, if dinner had been convivial and festive it was because the persons present there were a company as delectable as the refreshments and meal. They all knew each other very well. All were friends. Although both Thranduil and Galdor still thought Ólion too lazy of an elf to be the prince's most trusted friend. The boy was slightly older than Legolas but twice more irresponsible. His mother probably rocked him too close to the wall when he was a baby. As a resulted, all sense of responsibilities was knocked out of him. That night, at the dinner table, the way Galdor and the king reproached things to Ólion was particularly amusing seeing as he struggled to defend his position while agreeing to the king and his Captain's remarks on him.

Also, Galion was drunk. Again. But he had had more wine than anyone else, so fair enough. Plus his drunk anecdotes on Thranduil when he was a prince were always hilarious. Who apart from him knew that the king used to be player with the ladies and went as far as to sometimes pretend to be dying to have their attention?! It was impossible for everyone at the table to conceive that Legolas's mother had agreed to bond with such a frivolous and revolting elf!

Nellil loved to hear about those stories. She liked 'Ada Thrandy', like she called him in his back, very much. He knew about it and didn't mind. The girl was adorable. Almost as adorable as his son, so it was okay. She also called him 'The party king' (but that he didn't know), because he was. Literally. He always threw unbelievably entertaining parties, for no reason, really, other than to party. He even sang, played the harp and danced when he was tipsy or not too moody. He could never get his son to do the same though. "_Legolas quit being such a party pooper, relax, and try to have fun!_" he would tell his son. It amused her how much as soon as it was 'party time' the king would be so delightful and the prince so boring. But it was cute how Legolas would sit somewhere, in a dark corner, try to avoid feminine attention, and blush because he was ashamed by his father's behaviour.

Yes. She **loved** the family she was to join. She couldn't wait until she could to stay there for a longer periods than 4 months. Bur her father wouldn't allow it before she is wedded. He feared too much for his daughter's 'dignity'. He had witnessed many of the 'collateral damages' of the party King's affairs when they were both young. And despite the fact that he had seen Legolas very few times he assumed the boy had the same foolish dark side as his father. "_If Legolas has a dark side, then it is hidden better than Gondolin ever was."s_he told him every time he pleaded her to be careful around the Prince.

Now, the once colourful and merry feat was over. Of it, only a few rests were left. On one side of this mess, Legolas sat motionless, as cold as dead, and on the other side, laying back on his throne-like chair, legs crossed, an unreadable emotion put on his face, remained the Great Elven King of Eryn Lasgalen.

With one gracious move of his hand, Thranduil dismissed the servants from the room. They bowed and left in a small trot. When only the two were left in the room, Thranduil spoke:

"_I saw you glare at me all dinner long." He shifted his weight from one side to an other and commanded " Speak, my son, of what troubles you so. Or I fear you might choke on it."

His father's eyes were piercing. Legolas frowned his brows, looked away for a second to find his words and locked eyes with him, copying his freezing gaze.

"_Nellil told me about the Avari. Her Father told her about them." He halted there, waiting for his father to say something.

"_So?" was the king simple come back.

Legolas frowned his brows more deeply. He felt the warmth of anger growing inside of him.

"_'SO?' Ada! She is not involved in her realm's politic, neither is she in ours, but she knew about them! Her father **told** her. And you...You told me nothing! How do you expect me to rule after you if you keep me out of everything concerning the realm?" He paused to catch his breath, closed his eyes to calm himself and went on again on a lower tone "Or is it that you do not trust me?"

The prince voice resonated with disappointment. He felt betrayed.

Thranduil sighed. His son was right to disapprove of being keep out of what was happening. But he was drawing conclusion by only looking at the water's surface. In truth, if the king didn't tell anything to the prince about that case -about the Avari-, he had a reason. And a good one.

"_Legolas, the existence of the Avari was not meant to become public. Not ever. It was supposed to stay secret. But Nellil's Father cut the grass under my shoes when he had them escort her here, and had them show themselves. I only told the council about them yesterday. I didn't tell you anything because did not have the time. I got caught up in arranging for a place to stay for them, and gathering food and drinks and etcetera. I will have them treated as honourable guests."

"_ Since when do you know about them?"

"_ I have known for a year. "

"_ Who else knows?"

"_ For a year, only kings knew. Yesterday, I told the council. By now, I expect everyone, in every realm knows."

"_ How were they discovered?"

"_ They were not discovered, they came to us."

"_ What do they want?"

"_ They say they stayed hidden for too long and desire to renew contact with the world, in a peaceful way. I suspect other motives. But we shall wait and see before taking any action."

"_ How many are there? Where do they live?"

"_ They have been careful not to mention either."

"_Why are they staying here?"

"_ Some of them went to Lotlorien. Others to Rivendell. But since we could use all the help we can get here, to cleanse the forest from the _yrsh_, they will remain with us for now."

"_What do they ask for in return?"

"_ Nothing. Yet. I am meeting their Captain, Lord Alkien to discuss all this tomorrow."

"_ Why am I not in the council yet?" It was worth a shot. Thranduil had been answering very fast without thinking about his answers. He might finally reveal that too.

The King frowned slightly. Was his son truly dumb enough to think this trick would work on him? He kept his mouth shut, looked up in annoyance, stood up majestically then left. Legolas would have to find an answer for himself.

* * *

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* * *

Calmed, but not satisfied the the day he had had, the Silvan prince headed to the royal gardens hoping that a walk in-between well arranged trees and flowers would settle his mood.

_'This was not how things were supposed to go. It was supposed to be a good day. With Nellil. But it was just a succession of problems and disappointments...' _

A soft breeze tickled the golden leaves tonight. They shuddered in pleasure as their touched one another, letting soft moans escape. Legolas stopped in front his mother's statue. The one his father sculpted himself after her death. The monument was so detailed and build with such perfection that it looked as though she was alive. When he was upset, he would come here, to look upon her and hope she would drop the jar full of water she was holding to take him in a tight and comforting embrace like she used to. But she never moved. It broke his heart a little every time.

He dipped his hands in the water contained in the jar and washed his face with it. It was refreshing. It felt good. It would have to do instead of the hug he couldn't have.

"_Would you like to talk about it, Legolas?"

He recognised the soft voice so he answered without turning around.

"_If you are referring to my argument with Ada, no. But thank you, Nellil for the offer. It is most kind and appreciated." He smiled.

They always dropped the titles when they were alone; they were comfortable enough with each other to do so. Also, they felt like it made things more intimate between them, it brought them closer.

Nellil walked up to him and took on his hand as she murmured shyly in his hear "Come! Follow me.". She walked fast, not letting go of his wet hand and brought him to a bench under a weeping willow. She sat on it then motioned for him to join her. Once he was sitting, she had him lay down and put his head on her laps. He happily complied. His maiden was a prude. Having him laying his head and shoulders nonchalantly on her was a very coquettish and unusual gesture from her part.

He closed his eyes and allowed himself to relax for the first time today. She passed her hands tenderly through his hair a first time, enjoying its soft texture. Then she playfully tangled her fingers in it, massaging his crane. They stayed in silence for several minutes before Nellil broke it.

"_ Legolas?" she gently called his name.

"_Hm?" He opened his eyes, but couldn't bring himself to speak just yet.

"_ Will you tell me a story? I missed hearing about your adventures out in the wild."

"_ It depends." He closed his eyes again.

"_On what?" Taken by surprise by the answer, she stopped massaging his head. He growled at that. He was a big baby sometimes.

"_ On how good will the kiss you promised me in your letters be, my Lady!"

He smirked. He knew she would cutely panic at the thought. In fact, it made her cheeks turn strawberry red and her hands and knees shake slightly.

True, she had promised him 'the kiss of his life' in her letter. But she was just teasing. She never expected him to claim it. Not so soon anyway.

She took a deep breath, took his face in both her hands, closed her eyes and the distance between their lips. There, hidden under hanging leaves, she shared her first kiss with the prince, and was told, the most interesting and beautiful story she had ever heard.

* * *

Here is little something to help you understand who is what with who:

Wood elves:

Thranduil= Legolas's father

Galdor = wood elves' army general

Gillion = Thranduil's butler

Olion = Legolas's best friend

Normal elf:

Nellil= Legolas's betrothed (1997 years old)

Avari:

Sui = the 'brusque maid' (276 years old)

Mhélir = Sui's best friend (1943 years old), he's got green eyes

Mhéléane = Mhélir's younger sister, Sui's close friend, she's got green eyes, is taller than Sui but one year younger

Alkien = This troop of Avari's captain

Albien = Alkien's son. (over 2000 years old)


	4. Chapter 4: Doing it won't hurt anyone

**Chapter 4: Doing it won't hurt anyone**

The first lights were out. Alkien was standing behind Sui at the very spot he'd told the prince the girl would wait for him.

"_ _Your prince is late._" He complained. "_I should be heading towards the palace by now._"

Indeed, the King was expecting him. They had plenty to talk about: alliances, organisation, ration, scouting, raids...He didn't have time **this**.

"__He is NOT my prince. But be sure that I'll make him pay if you are late on your date because of him_." She turned around to look at his reaction, a wide smile on her face.

Alkien's mouth curled a bit on both side. She was in good mood, ready to give the Silvan a hard time. Just as he had predicted.

They waited about ten minutes more before Legolas showed up.

"_You are late." Alkien stated. His tone wasn't condescending nor accusing. He was just merely stating the facts. But since he was wearing a formal attire -clean boots, black pants with a grey and dark green robe on top- Legolas felt as if he was being criticised by his father and was slow to answer.

"_ _And he looks terrible_." placed the elleth in between.

He did look terrible. He hadn't slept the night before. He was too busy thinking about his princess.

He hadn't understood what she told the Captain, but it sounded like she was insulting him.

"_I'm deeply sorry my Lord." He would ignore her for now. He didn't want any drama today. "I promise it won't happen again."

"_ No, it won't. I will not wait with her every morning." he warned. "I expect to hear a report about the day." With that Alkien walked away. Only to stop a few meters away and add "Do not let her out of your sight. She would cause some trouble." before leaving her in his care for good.

For a while they just stood there stupidly, looking at each other. Sui with her arms crossed, was pouting. And Legolas trying to hold her gaze and figure out where she found the strength to be angry so early the morning.

"_So...I didn't give much thoughts to what your sanction should be." He scratched the back of head.

"_ Too busy '**taking care' **of the girl?" She raised a brow and smiled sarcastically while, he, dropped his mouth open in shock. If that kept happening his jaw would grow painful soon. He wanted to say something, but his mouth wouldn't let any words come out.

"_No need to be shocked or to hide it. I saw you kiss under a weeping willow last night." It came out on the most natural tone possible.

"_ You spied on us?" That, came out on the most unnatural tone possible

"_Uh-uh, no." She closed her fist, leaving only the index up and moved it from left to right to say no. "I don't have time to waste like that. I just happened to be there. I was taking a walk, to relax."

She didn't say it nicely but it sounded like the truth. The tip of his ears turned red.

"_ I didn't...do anything to her. We just kissed. It was-"

"_Hey, _retarded elf_," she cut him. "I don't care. _Really._ You do whatever you want with the Lady. _Now if you please_, I'd rather execute my sanction than listen to this non-sense."

Legolas covered his face with his hands, thinking deeply. '_Of course, this is non of her business. I better come up with something, quick.'_

"_ Uh..today you will hm... clean the stables. With all those horses, they're dramatically dirty. They could do with some scrubbing."

He looked at her. She looked right back at him. A minute passed.

"_ You realise I arrived yesterday and do not know my way around here." Not seeing where this was going he didn't retort. "I have no _fucking _idea where the stables are. I was in charge of mounting the tents, not caring for the beasts."

"_Oh of course." Where was his head this morning. He hadn't even understood something that simple. "Follow me, it' this way."

* * *

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* * *

Legolas opened the stables door. Quite a few people were inside today. Both Avari and wood elves were feeding the horses, cleaning them, getting them ready to ride. Every one was busy and paid no attention to the pair.

Sui looked around then down to the floor. He didn't exaggerate. The cleaning situation was getting out of hand here. However he lied. It didn't need some scrubbing, it needed magic. No one could clean that much horse shit and dry hay. She looked up again. In the back, three elves were cleaning.

_'Good. At least I've got some help.'_

"_ Alagon, Durthor, Uthespen!" The three elves brought their attention to the prince. "You can leave and take care of other things. The child will take care of the rest."

Alagon, Durthor and Uthespen gathered their belongings, bowed and left.

Sui cursed under her breath and looked at him angrily.

"_ Blondie, you do realise that I can't clean all that by myself in one day?"

"_Good thing that your punishment is meant to last longer than that."

She frowned. He smiled interiorly. Finally he was himself again. He might as well push her little more. "And you do realise that you are to call me 'My Lord' and never again 'man'". He copied her tone.

She bit her tongue and began to walk away to start her chore. She was doing her best not to cause more problems, like she was asked by both Albien and Mhélir yesterday. But it was getting harder and very tempting to put the prince back at his place.

_'That's her reaction? I was expecting better. Perhaps I can push her some more and get away with it.' _thought 'blondie'_._

"_ One other thing. I would like you to clean the elk's stable too. It's in the other room over there." he pointed at the door at the very end of the stables. "And be careful, it tends to bite."

She didn't turn to look at him and instead busied herself with work.

Legolas went to his horse cleaned him, caressed him, and even talked to him a little bit. Alkien had told him to keep an eye on her and he was trying to follow his advice. But she didn't seem like much of problem like this, calmly cleaning the stables, not bothering anyone. Just doing her job. And she was so small. Surely she couldn't cause anything bad. She might engage in a fight with someone but, hey, the wood elves were known to be more dangerous than the others, they could handle themselves if she tried anything funny. And they knew better than to answer to a child's provocation. Yes, he could leave. At least for an hour or two. It wouldn't hurt anyone.

* * *

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* * *

The prince was looking for Ólion. He had to tell him about last night. It was just a kiss. But it was her very first, and their first together, so it was something important!

He went straight to the kitchen. Ólion enjoyed doing very few things. Among the things he enjoyed doing was eating and flirting. Two things he could do at the same time in the Palace's kitchen: flirt with a maid or a cook while eating a pie. However, to his stupefaction, his friend was not in the kitchen. Ólion was always in the kitchen. Why wasn't he in kitchen now? Legolas sighed and entered the room. Perhaps his companion was in the corner he couldn't see from the door's entrance. Nope. Ólion was not there. But Únel was.

"_Únel?!" He couldn't believe his eyes.

The elleth turned around, letting the toast she was holding fall down to the ground when she saw who called her name. The toast fell on the side she had meticulously spread jam on. Damn gravity!

"_Legol- my Lord?!" she quickly corrected herself. She hadn't seen him for many winters, and even thought she was part of the high elves, she shouldn't allow herself to familiarities with royalty, not after such a long time.

"_Why- I mean, when did you came back? I thought you in Lotlorien!"

"_ I came back a week ago. But I was... indisposed so I stayed home."

She looked right into his eyes. It disturbed him. Her gaze shouldn't perturb him like this. Not any more. She was the elleth with who he had his first **experiences** when they both came of age. He had liked her. **A lot.** So much, that the thought of asking his father to annul his betrothal in her favour crossed his mind several times. But she left for Lotlorien a few years before he grew feelings for Nellil, before he dared to say anything to his father. It was for the best: it would probably have been a youth mistake.

He remembered her perfectly. From her intrepid mind and determined manners to take what she wanted when she wanted- no matter the means- to the softness of her small breasts when he'd touched them. But what he liked the most about her was that she shared his passion for archery. She started later than he did but she was a natural with a bow; she didn't have to work hard to improve her skills. But as always she wasn't satisfied with what she had. It wasn't enough. She had to become better than she already was, so she left. First she went to Rivendell to finish her formation as a healer, then she went to Lotlorien to learn how to shoot properly with , the now missed, Haldir. He was one of the best. And someone who's body wouldn't distract her **too much** from her goals.

She was back. And she was still ravishing with her green almonds shaped eyes and long light brown hair tied high up in a bun. No she wasn't like the others, and she liked to show it so she wouldn't let her hair down like they did. He felt lust rise in his chest and a sudden need to crush his lips against hers.

"_ Are you...feeling better now?" Is the best he could bring himself to say under her intense gaze.

"_ I am, thank you. So much in fact that I was thinking about going for a ride and try shooting on moving targets after eating this." She pointed at the toast and looked at it wishing it hadn't fell. "But I believe I can forget about eating it, so I will ready my horse now and leave." She picked up the bread, disposed of it, bowed and made her way through to the door, being careful to put her hand sensually on the prince's shoulder as she passed him on the side.

He turned around to watch her leave.

"_ May I join?" '_What am I doing?This is a terrible idea!'_

"_ Could it be that you are curious about my skills?" She only turned her head to the side to look at him.

"_ Very much so."

"_ Haldir was a great teacher. I might be better than you are, now, my lord." she grinned.

He smirked. Únel was as flirty and provocative as always. He liked the temptation. He liked challenges. Being around her was like constantly being on the verge to inhale under water but holding his breath in to stay down longer than the others. It was painful, but worth it.

"_ I doubt it. I practised a lot while you were away. I am the best in the realm now."

"_ Well, in a few hours, you might not be any more." She winked and went on walking as he followed her.

* * *

Sorry this chapater is little short but It was either cutting it in two or posting a monstruously big one -'

I have all the chapters written up till the 11th one! (and the story not even close to be over yet!) let me know if you want me to post them faster. But if I do at some point you'll have to wait more than just a week to have the not yet written chaps...


	5. Chapter 5: It's an animal, not gold!

**Chapter 5: It's an animal, not gold!**

**Author's note:**

Hey! Just a quick something I thought you should know, english isn't my mother tongue so sorry for misspells and other mistakes and do not hesitate let me know about them so I can change them. Also, if you have any suggestions about the story/characters, things you would like to hear more about message me ;)

* * *

When he went to the stables to ready his beasts, Legolas did not realise Sui was gone. The thought to check if she was still working hadn't even come close to his mind. He regretted it now. He was back and she was no where to be seen. But all the horses where still there and the stables were cleaner. She must have worked for quite a while.

Wait.!

The door at the back! The one leading to the elk's stall: it's open. _'Thanks god. She is in there.'_. Nope. No one there either. Not even the elk.

'_OH NO!NO! The elk is gone. She is not here either. She left with with it. Shit! What if she stole it and plan on eating it or something? SHIT! Ada will KILL me!'_

His heart beats fastened. Thranduil **loved** his elk. His wife gave it to him as a pet after their union. Legolas was a dead elf if he didn't bring it back before his father noticed. But how was he supposed to bring it back? He had no idea where the girl could have taken it...but an elk that big couldn't go around unnoticed, could it? No, it couldn't, so he decided to ask people, calmly, not letting them know that something was wrong, if they had seen it.

First, he looked for Uthespen. The elf loved horses, and even when he wasn't cleaning the stables or healing a beast, he would hang out around its surrounding. But Uthespen saw no elk. So, he asked Durthor. He mounted every day and had a very good sense of observation. Nothing was done around here without him seeing it. But Durthor, saw no elk. However, he did see 'this morning's Avari young boy, the one with shoulder long curly black hair, smuggle food in, for the horses'. Finally, he questioned everyone else around about the animal to no avail. No one had seen it. No keen sighted being had seen a loud Avari leave with a gigantic elk. The situation couldn't get any more ridiculous.

Then he remembered: _'there is another door'_. One that opens from the elk's stalls directly to the forest. One mystery solved: no one saw his father's pet because she got it out by the back door. Another remains: where did she take it?.

_'Fuck. What do I do now?'_ He walked fast, in irregular circles, holding his hair tight in an hysteric manner with both his hand, making disgraceful faces.

"_I see you didn't follow my advice." a voiced said, annoyed. "What did she do?"

It was Alkien. The Captain didn't look surprised. In fact, he wasn't. He was not angry either. He had known from the beginning that something like this would happen today., and certainly every other day, until the punishment week was over.

"_ She took my father's elk! I don't know where she went. No one saw the elk get out!" he kept gesticulating wildly. "I think..I think she got it out by door leading to the forest." He finally stopped all movement to face the giant. His eyes full of despair he pleaded "I am in DEEP TROUBLE if I don't get it back before Ada notices!PLEASE! HELP ME! Help me find her!"

"_ The King owns an elk?" he raised his right eyebrow in curiosity. Legolas nodded. Alkien sighed. "It is a most interesting pet to have." he smiled to himself and with a move of his head pointed to the stables. "Let us go to the creature's stall."

"_Why? She isn't there any more. And with today's strong wind disturbing the forest, we can't trace her."

"_Don't be silly boy! She did not run away with it. She is probably using it as mount to walk around in the woods. She'll bring it back where it belongs. And we will be there, waiting."

* * *

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* * *

Finally, the shape of elk appeared in the horizon. The wood elf and the Avari Captain had been waiting for close to two hours, now. Legolas did not dare to talk during this time; the other elf had a too imposing charisma and he didn't want to pass for more idiot than he was once more today. Alkien had used the time to meditate. He was trying hard to find his inner peace in order to suppress his burning rage. All this was, again, a waste of his precious time and he still had a lot to do. Also, the talk he had with the King had been tiring: the Silvan elf was exhausting only to look at. Thranduil's clothes were shiny, he constantly gesticulated, and kept asking questions, trying to corner him to have more information about his tribe. '_Where exactly do you hail from? How many are you here? How many went to Lorien? Rivendell? Are there many more? How many? Could you remind me why you are you finally got out of the shadows?Why now? Where did you live? And ..when..why..what...where..who..How...?'_

Too much rambling. He would have to get a new knife to sharpen his blade some more to relax and get rid of the echo of this meeting repeating over and over in his head.

"_ _Hey! Alkien_!" she greeted. Sui sat on the elk's back, a wide and satisfied smile on her face. She seemed happy to see her Captain. Once more she was clueless as to what she had done wrong.

"_ _Where have you been?_" His tone was firm but calm.

"_ _Exploring!_" As she exclaimed that, she threw both hands high up in the air. "And that poor thing here," she bent forward to caress the creature's neck "really needed some fresh air!" She changed her voiced to a funny one as she moved her eyes from the Captain to the elk "_uh! you did! Yes, you did, uh!_"

Alkien brought one hand to his head and pressed on his temple as if to suppress a headache. She was in a extremely good mood, for once. But he had to reprimand her. Again.

The giant sighed, relaxed his frown, then crossed his arms. He would try his best to keep his cool and to not be too hard on her in order to avoid another scene.

"_ Did the prince ask you to walk it?"

"_ _No._" Annoyance was slowing crushing her joy as she understood that if Alkien was starting to ask questions, he was trying to make a point. And if he was trying to make a point his armed crossed using a 'forced' calm tone like right now, it meant nothing good. At least not for her. The prince would probably gloat because she was getting scolded.

"_ So you agree that it wasn't part of your punishment?"

"_ _Well, Yes, I guess so_." She stopped to scowl and quickly started again "_But I was never told that I couldn't-_"

"_You get one week more of sanction." He said it as a final statement. There was no debating it.

Both Legolas and Sui screamed at the same time:

"_WHAT?!"

They exchanged a short glance at each other and brought their eyes back on the giant.

She was not pleased. It was unfair. Why was walking an elk resulting in one more week of misery? She deserved an explanation. And it better a be a good one.

The prince was stupefied. He had failed, on the first day on her sanction, at keeping an eye on her, which could have ended up causing a lot of drama if he'd went to his father and told him that one of those untrusted Avari stole his precious elk and disappeared, but yet,, Alkien was trusting him with surveilling her one more week? He didn't want that. He didn't want anything to do with her ever again. Not even for revenge about her misconduct the day before. Sui did more to his stress in 2 days than Únel ever did to his libido! Because of her he almost balded himself out of panic!

Both opened their mouths to protest but where defeated at it.

"_You," he turned his head to the right to look at Sui, still sitting on the elk, "**need** to learn to do what is asked of you, and nothing more, nor less." He turned to look at Legolas. "And you-"

"_ I'm sorry." he politely cut. "I don't think I am fitted to deal with her." _'I'll die of a heart attack if I am under that kind of pressure once more.'_

The prince sounded honest. And the Captain, better than anyone else, understood why he was scared of being under such a responsibility longer. Sui was quick too bite and slow grasps the repercussions of her acts: irresponsible in all aspects.

"_ It is a punishment for you too." clarified the Captain. Hearing this, Legolas opened his eyes wide. Some elf he met for the first time the day before, who belonged to a lower class than his, was giving a sanction to him, the over 2000 years old prince."If you can't control an elfling now, how do you plan on ruling this realm in the future?"

"_ My lord, with all due respect, even if you gave me a century and back ups, I doubt I could ever control that one." he shot her a glare. " If you want to punish me too, can I at least trade her for another one?"

It was a pitiful attempt to escape his fate.

"_ _Alkien, he's got a point. You should give him Mhéléane. Mhélir kee__ps saying she needs to be straightened up." _That, was not helping either.

"_What I said wasn't a suggestion for you two to discuss, it was an order. Now hurry to clean the elk and get back to camp." With that, the Captain left.

Sui got off the animal while Legolas was still looking at Alkien's shape slowly disappearing in the horizon, bewildered by the turn of events.

"_ So... are you going to help me with the elk or what?!" She threw at him mockingly. There was something satisfying about knowing that he too was being punished. It felt like an achievement to her. A good one. One she was responsible for.

"_I'll just look." Legolas turned to look at the elleth. He could see she was enjoying this."I believe I am penalized enough having to deal with you for another week."

"_ Ohhh" she faked disappointment "yesterday, you were asking to take care of me personally and today, you don't like me any more?! You are breaking my heart." She smirked. It was going too be very amusing pissing him off every day. For two long and whole weeks. _'I'm already in this mess so I'll make the best out of it.' _she told herself.

"_ And you are breaking my male gonads, but you don't hear me cry about it." he spat.

_' It couldn't get any worse.'_ he thought.

Or could it?

* * *

male gonads = balls x)


	6. Chapter 6: Keep your hands to yourself!

**Chapter 6: Keep your hands to yourself**

It was over midnight. Legolas was stressed and still couldn't believe he would have to make time in his agenda for the young Avari for 1 additional week. In all 13 days left. He wanted to see Nellil, now. She would know how to soften his mood. But she had ditched her maids after dinner to go for a walk on her own and he, was too tired to seek for her through the realm. So, instead, he made his way to the kitchen. He was hopping to find Ólion, there. Though, he wouldn't mind to find Únel instead, once more. Perhaps she would be catching up on the toast she dropped earlier.

From the corridor, he could hear grave laughters and several voices. When he entered the room, he was glad to see Ólion, Galdor and Gilion joyfully sharing some cake and a few refreshments.

"_ Ah! There's the princeling!" said Gilion, who was the only one facing the kitchen's entrance from which Legolas appeared. Galdor and Ólion turned around to look at him.

"_You! Where have you been all this time?! Your lady comes in town and you disappear? What kind of a friend of you, leaving me to deal alone with those old elves!" exclaimed Ólion.

Galdor smacked the back of the fool's head. And Gilion followed the same gesture.

"_ Hold your tongue, boy!" threatened the Captain.

"_ See? When YOU are at a safe distance from them, they take their rage out on me!"

Legolas smiled. He felt better already.

He walked up to the butler's side and sat next to him. Gilion put his hand at the back of the prince's head in an affectionate manner.

"_ So what have you been up too, child?"

"_ You better have a good excuse for showing up late to your patrol tour." Galdor did not sound happy about that. "And as much as your Lady is beautiful, she is not good enough of an excuse for me."

Legolas frowned. He wanted to avoid telling the truth. They would probably all make fun of him if they knew. In addition, Galdor would scold him some more and probably give him more hours of watch on the wall.

"_ I was...giving a class of archery..to some elflings in the range" he lied.

"_ By Arda!" Ólion said on a disappointed tone, while Gilion chuckled and Galdor put on a serious look on his face. " You are such a bad liar, I pity you. Seriously, you should just stop trying at this point."

The prince growled.

"_ So what is it that you are hiding?" The Captain made it sound more like an order than a question.

He would just have to tell them everything. They would find out eventually.

"_ Hun" he breathed in, "I assume you've heard about the Avari girl to whom I'm supposed to teach 'manners' right?" They nodded. News travelled fast in Eryn Lasgalen. Every one enjoyed gossiping, especially about their darling prince. " Well, long story short, I told her to clean the stables and left to take care of other business. When I came back she was gone. With Ada's elk."

Every one's faces turned white. " Yeah, that's about how panicked I was. You can relax, I got it back. But she arrived after the time I was supposed to start patrolling."

They faces regained their usual colour and they shut their eyes in relief.

"_ Because of your carelessness, we could have all been in DEEP trouble." That said, Galdor signalled for Gilion to give a smack to the prince.

"_ That," complained the prince to the butler, " wasn't necessary. I already got punished for all this."

"_ What do you mean?" The prince had picked Ólion's curiosity.

"_ I was supposed to supervise the pest's sanction for a week, but since I almost provoked the apocalypse and a political issue with the Avari, Alkien, their Captain, is having me 'baby-sit' her for one more week." He put his face in his hands. "Sauron himself couldn't have come up with worse torture than this."

"_Don't over do it!" The lazy elf was disappointed. He'd been expecting something grandiose. " Nellil told me the elleth was just a child. Plus, next time, you'll just have to stay around while she-"

"_ Oh no!" the Silvan threw his head back " She's not JUST a child. She's a...she is hateful, wild, impolite, I suspect violent and I swear she enjoys to see people -or at least me, **suffer**." he made sure to emphasise the last word.

"_ Funny." Gilion jumped into the discussion. " I went to the stalls this morning, and chatted with an Avari girl for a few minutes. She was charming, a vigorous young mind!"

"_ They were several in there, it must have been another one." Legolas truly doubted the other elf was talking about the same person.

"_ The one I conversed with have shoulder long, black, curly hair, eyes just as dark, and wore a pair of brown large pants and a green shirt. It was also too big for her." he paused and suddenly remembered: "Oh and she was barefoot."

Legolas frowned. How could they be talking about the same person. What was there to find charming about her?

"_ How could you find the yrsh* charming?" he waited a few seconds for an answer but changed his mind. "No you know what? I don't want to hear about all this any more. I would like to think about other things than her. Something pleasant for a change."

"_ Things like...Nellil?" Ólion was teasing him. He always did "I heard she ditched her maids yesterday night too." he smirked. "And you weren't in your room when I knocked yesterday night..." he teased.

Gilion's eyes widened. Galdor who had been too busy cutting some salami, jumped in his chair, raised his head to lock his eyes with the prince and threatened:

"_Don't tell me you-"

The prince screamed both in surprise and embarrassment.

"_Aaaaah! I did nothing!" he slammed his hands on the table and stood up. " Why are you all thinking I took advantage of her?!" He sat down again. "She is lovely but-" He stopped himself. Every one was still looking at him suspiciously " Huh, Okay! I kissed her." he admitted. Hearing this, Galdor was about to began a sentence but Legolas spoke again " I SWEAR! I did nothing else! So please, don't look at me like that!" The tip of his ears was pink. He didn't mind sharing this information with Ólion, and weirdly enough nor with Gilion, but talking about it in front of Galdor was simply embarrassing.

"_ So it appears the son doesn't have the father's habits with the ladies " mocked the butler.

"_ And what manners would that be?" Menaced Thranduil, coming in the kitchen, from supply area in the back.

"_Ada! Have you been hiding there all along?"

"_ I was NOT hiding!" the king's voice grounded softly. "I was being discreet!" he completed in all seriousness. "So tell me son," he put a hand on his son's shoulder." all about this matter."

Legolas collapsed the on the table, being careful to hide his face with his arms. The situation just went from embarrassing to humiliating for him.

* * *

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* * *

Mhélir was laying on Sui's mattress, topless, covering the rest of his naked body with her covers when Mhéléane entered it without announcing herself. She stood at the entrance and looked at her brother making a grimace.

"__Gross_." she stated after a few seconds, not moving from where she was.

"__Well if you want to avoid __**this**__, or worse"_ he laid back, making himself comfortable again, " _ask permission to come in __**before**__ coming it._"

She rolled her eyes.

"_ _Weren't you guys done. You know, hooking up together?_"

"_ _We were. Then - we got -bored again_." His speech was fragmented. He was trying to catch his clothes without uncovering himself or standing up.

"_ _Couldn't you refuse her? And get a friend of your own to fuck_." It came out like razor's blade. She didn't approve of this 'friends with benefits' kind of relationship. She loved her brother. She loved her friend. But she hated them together. It was the same song over and over: they would have sex, spend more time together, have private jokes, then argue, swear, fight and go back to being only friends again. It was a pain in the ass to be in the middle of all that. When were they going to realise that they were just friends and didn't function as anything more? One was too possessive and the other one too unconcerned by the 'rues' such a relationship implyed.

"_ _Hey! Watch your tongue!_" he snapped. He was patient with his sister, and didn't mind her being vulgar with others, but not with him. He was her older brother, of a 1862 years old, and an actual warrior while she was only a trainee. "_What are here you for?_"

She pouted.

"__ Let Sui know we start the scouting tomorrow morning, at 8 O'clock, when she comes back._" she said dryly before turning around to leave.

"_ _She can't go._" His sister turned back around, a curious look on her face. "_It's part of her sanction._" He finally caught his trousers. "_Alkien even took her sword and both her knives away, can you believe that? He's being real' rough now_."

Mhéléane clasped her teeth together. If Sui wasn't going to scout, she would have to find herself someone else to pair with on the morrow.

"_ _I'm not surprised. She would probably use them to cut blondie open. Or get revenge on Alkien while he sleeps_."

She walked out leaving Mhélir to get dressed. Alone with his thoughts, he wondered when his sister became so bipolar and aggressive. She used to be a sweet young girl. And she had worked really hard to jump from the Avari general formation to Alkien's unit in order to follow him here. Why was she so impossible all of a sudden?

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* * *

On the other side of the camp, Sui was hiding behind Alkien's tent. She knew he had seen the King and wanted to hear about everything that was to come. Of course Alkien made a speech summarising it for the whole unit, but he kept the essential to himself. He would only tell his vice-Captain, The Mountain, and Albien, his personal trainee and son, the relevant part of the story. Since he didn't want to tell her too, she dcided to get the information herself, by spying. However, the prince's Lady arrived there before she did, and have been rambling about uninteresting things like some party soon to come and Avari cuisine, postponing all possible interesting exchanges.

"_ Ah! I see! I'll arrange for the cooks to roast them instead then! Thank you for all the details." Nellil's voice was soft, as always. " I would like to add one last thing before I take my leave." She hesitated to keep going.

"_ You still have all my attention, my Lady." Alkien encouraged her to go on .

She nodded and began again.

"_ I am very sorry about... the situation with the Prince ". She put a lovely pout on her face to complain " His father spoils him a little bit too much so he isn't used to be taken back on his decisions and can be very stubborn." She relaxed her face and smiled again "But please, don't believe that these traits define him. He is very capable, I assure you."

"_ Worry not, Princess. The prince showed himself very cooperative so far. Also, if I am exigent with him, it is because I know he can accomplish a lot more than he thinks himself capable of."

Standing a little bit further away, Geldrick and Albien chuckled lightly. Alkien's tone was unnaturally nice. The Avari Captain wasn't used to be shown such tenderness by women. The only two women he was close to were ruthless and dominating: starting by his wife and followed close by Sui. It was a rare sight to see him melt like this so the two other elves were very amused by the situation.

"_ Thank you very much for listening to me, my Lord!" She clasped her hands together, visibly satisfied by the out come of conversation.

"_ Albien!" called the Captain.

"_ Yes Captain" The younger Avari took a step forward.

"_ _Walk Lady Nellil back to the palace, will you_."

As an answer Albien did the Avari military salute: he closed his hands into fists, and brought both of them to hit his torso lightly. Then he opened the tents entrance to let the Princess go through. She went out, and he followed.

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* * *

The sweet maiden walked in front of the Captain's son. She didn't like it this way. It made her feel ill at ease, like someone was stalking her. She wanted him to walk at her side, to make this less awkward, so she tried slowing her pace down, but he would just do the same or even worse: stop, to put more distance in between them.

On the other side, Albien was starting to wander if the young Lady wasn't slightly...retarded. Why was she walking then stopping, then walking again, then slowing down and kept throwing quick glances back at him? He decided not to care. Perhaps elleths from her tribe where just strange.

_'Rah, she's stopping again.'_he thought when she stopped once again.

"_ Please, will you not walk with me?" She turned back timidly to face him.

Albien was taken aback: _'Is that what it was about all along? Jeez, women!' _He simply nodded as an answer and walked up to her, waiting for her to move again. However she did not. She just looked at him expectantly.

"_ There is a thing I can help you with my lady?" His Sindarin was not all that good, and his accent was thick. He didn't take the time to learn it properly because it was barely spoken by any one in FellSvogee and never thought he would ever have to use it one day.

She blushed and bent her head down.

"_ Is it usual, for Avari elves to walk behind elleths?"

"_ No."

She looked disturbed by the poor answer.

"_ No?" She wanted to know more.

"_ No."

She frowned. She was impressed enough by the elf, he didn't have to make himself mysterious with that.

"_ Then...why were you walking behind then?" she pushed.

"_ I thought you would want to feel alone so I walked at the back."

Guilt rose in her stomach. He had done it to make her feel more comfortable and she had almost labelled him as creep for doing so.

"_ Ah! I see! Thank you. But I would appreciate it better if you would walk along with me." She paused. "It would be less scary this way." She admitted. Albien nodded and motioned for her to start walking again. " May I ask you about the Avari, culture my Lord? I have so many questions and yet, no one can answer them since so little is known about you." she wasn't looking at him and neither did he look at her when he answered.

"_You may. However, please, not use the title, I am not a Lord."

"_ Then what shall I call you?"

"_ Sir."

Nellil was surprised. He wasn't a lord, but asked of a princess that she called him 'sir'. Why didn't he simply tell her his name instead? She titled her head pondering on it.

"_Very well then: 'Sir'? Could you tell me if all Avari are fighters? Mostly every one in your camp have weapons and seems to be well trained for battle."

"_ _Yes_. Every single one Avari are fighters."

"_ ALL the women as well?"

"_ _Yes._" he said in Avari. She guessed the meaning.

"_ Then who takes care of the children?"

"_ They fight too."

"_ WHAT?" She stopped walking and grabbed his arm slightly to stop him.

Because of her reaction, he felt he had to elaborate on that matter.

"_ The parents, until the elfings are strong and mature enough to learn combat, raise them."

She stared at him with big eyes and motioned to him, with a circular move of the hand, to keep going. " We divide them in groups and have a teacher show them basics of different things: fighting, harvesting, languages, hunting, fishing, sewing and other. They are free to specialise in what they like more. But they have to learn combat until their adult age. We live in a dangerous place, every one must know defence."

"_ It sounds really tough!" She exclaimed, glad that she weren't born in this tribe. " What is the adult age for the Avari?"

"_ 300 winters."

"_ EH!" Once again it was something he did not expect to hear. " Our age of maturity is at a 100 years old..."

They kept discussing their cultural differences until they reached the Palace. Nellil was really enthusiastic about learning so many new customs. Most where unheard of, and a few: REVOLTING!

When he went back to the tent to be briefed on his father's and the King's debate, Albien was exhausted. He was the quiet type; talking this much had been demanding. But at least, he didn't have a headache from arguing with his 'sister' tonight!

* * *

* yrch = orc in Sindarin (if I'm not wrong)


	7. Chapter 7:Part 1: The cure to boredom

**Chapter 7: Part 1: Curiosity, the cure to boredom**

This morning again, Alkien walked Sui to the rendez-vous point. This time Legolas was already there, waiting for them. The Silvan noted that the girl was already sulking, her arms crossed.

"_Good morning my Lord." The giant slightly bowed with his head." Here's the elleth. She's in a 'mood'."

"_I fear, Captain, that my morning is not announcing itself very good then." the prince grimaced. The Captain smirked and left.

Sui screamed to Alkien who was already on his way "_I hope you have no fun at all and-"_ before he cut her by shooting her a glacial glare

"_What's the damn program for today?" she grumbled.

"_ Finish what you started yesterday." His voice was void of enthusiasms.

"_ Again?"

"_Yes. Again." he oriented his hand to the stables.

She made her way there. He followed, closely.

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* * *

Three hours later, Legolas was bored. He had been sitting on an old bucket, drawing random things with a stick on the ground. He had tried singing songs to occupy his mind but every time he started singing, Sui imitated him in a parodistic manner: being loud and singing in a fake language. It was annoying.

He sighed.

"_Look," Sui stopped what she was doing but didn't let go of the fork she was holding. "if you're bored,'my lord', get out! Go do something else! 'Cause staying here and watching me like that is creepy, so please, don't make it annoying as well, sighing every minutes." With that she added a sarcastic bow.

"_Yes...but no. The last time I tried that, it didn't work out that well, remember?" he accused.

"_Maybe if you had told me that I couldn't actually touch the elk, I wouldn't have fucked up." she used the same tone.

Legolas moved to put his elbows on his knees and rest his weight on it.

"_Do you really have to be so vulgar?". She stuck her tongue out at him. "Or so unpleasant? Because really," he hesitated a second before finishing, "this," he motioned his index between her and himself "is annoying for **both** of us. But, if you were to cooperate, we could just, I don't know, play cards or something and make the whole thing more bearable."

She raised both her eyebrows, let the fork fell on the floor, took a bucket not too far away and brought it close to where the blond elf was, and sat on it.

"_So where are those cards at?" she clasped and hands together. "Can we play-"

"_ Cards were just an example," he cut her. "I don't actually have a deck on me, right now."

She rolled her eyes and stood up to leave but was stopped by a hand grabbing her arm.

"_ We can play aim. It's better than nothing."

He was **really** bored. He couldn't just sit there, doing nothing, another three hours, waiting for lunch. He'd rather leave. He knew he **could **leave. However, he also knew that if he left, something else might happen. And this time, things might not end as well. Also, he wanted to prove to Alkien, and to himself, that he could do it; he felt like the whole thing was a challenge. He planned on winning it. Still, if she was going back to ignoring him, he might just leave and make himself useful elsewhere. Yes. Just go somewhere, anywhere really, as long as there was something there to keep him busy. Perhaps catch up on some quality time with Nellil.

She sat back down. He wouldn't leave.

"_ What are the" she searched for her words "_rules?_" she finally said in her mother tongue.

He frowned his brows a little bit, trying to figure out what she meant.

"_Rules?" he proposed.

She looked at him questioningly.

"_ Rules are the set of understood principles that defines one's conduct within a particular activity." he explained, "You really didn't know that word?" he was surprised.

"_ Well, it's not like Sindarin is my mother tongue!" She was offended.

"_ Jeez, sorry!" it came out like a complaint. "I'm just surprised because your Sindarin is really good, and 'rules' is a simple word."

"_ Thank you. I guess." despite the fact that it was said dryly, she was smiling. Slightly.

"_ If that isn't surprising!" exclaimed the prince "YOU, can actually be grateful. Or actually almost grateful."

They both laughed.

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* * *

In the palace, Únel had joined the other Ladies into getting things ready for the party to come. She was appointed the task to supervise the artists in their future show but quickly changed it to be in the group sewing new tapestries: the group in which Nellil was. She was curious about the person who would marry the elf she wanted. She had never met the princess. She had seen her from afar at parties or walking in the gardens, but they were never introduced. And everyone knows that you must know your enemy better than yourself if you want to win against him,-or her, in this case.

The green eyed lady had been working with the other court ladies for a while now, but Nellil still hadn't showed up. Únel was getting impatient. If the princess wasn't going to show, she would have to do with whatever gossip she could get from the elleths in the room.

"_ The princess's absence is worrying me. I wonder if she is in good health..." she broke the silence, hoping to start a conversation there.

The other ladies exchanged shy looks in the circle they were sitting in. They were hesitating to talk: Únel was quite charismatic for an elleth. They didn't want to make a fool of themselves in front of her, she guessed..

Finally, one of them, the one sitting on her right, pursed her lips, then dared to speak:

"_ I-I am the princess..." she stuttered, disappointed to not having been recognised .

The intimidating elleth startled. '_Shit! I didn't even recognize her. What's wrong with me!?'_

"_I am deeply sorry, your highness. I didn't mean to offend you."

Nellil smiled warmly and took Únel hands in hers.

"_ Do not worry, I am not offended." she went back to her tapestry "Forgive my curiosity, my Lady," she raised her head to meet the other woman's green eyes "but I do not think I have met you before, are you one of the king's guest?"

"_ No, I was born here." neither her tone and her expression betrayed the fact that she did not appreciate being called a visitor in her homeland. By a stranger. Who happens to be the one who will marry the prince.

"_ Ah! I am sorry!" recognizing her mistake, the princess brought her hand to her mouth as if to swallow back the question she previously asked. "It is just...I come here every year, but I do not remember seeing you before."

"_ That is because not long after your betrothal and the prince was made public, I had to move to Rivendell in order to finish my formation in healing, then to Lotlorien to learn to use a bow properly." her tone was soft. She didn't want to scare the smaller elleth away. Still, she couldn't bring herself to be as far as friendly just yet.

"_Aww!" the royal elleth complained "I'm so jealous! I never got to travel elsewhere than here." She quickly added "Not that Greenwood the Great isn't a wonderful place! It is just... that I would like to see more of the world."

Únel did not find answer so she simply smiled.

At the sight of the older elleth's smile, Nellil's self-esteem sinked inside of her. Únel was charismatic, skilled in many things (it seemed), and unthinkably gorgeous when she smiled. _' Please Arda, please, don't tell me she can sing and dance too or I will drown in a river of envy!" _

Too lost in her thoughts, the princess didn't realise she had badly neglected part of the pattern's cross stitches.

"_ Here," Únel called Nellil back on earth "may I undo it for you?" she offered pleasantly.

"_ Thank you." she handed the fabric to the attractive elleth. "I'm sorry you have to clean my mess..."

"_ Do not worry, you are really good already. It was just a small lack of focus, it happens." she smiled. " May I ask you, my Lady, what is troubling you so much that you do not see your needles?" she teased in an affectionate fashion.

Nellil chuckled. Únel wasn't so 'scary' after all.

"_ I was just imaging what fascinating adventures you must have lived while travelling."

"_ Would you like to hear about them now?"

"_ A millions of times yes, please!"

* * *

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* * *

In the stables, the game's rule were simple: throw a rock through the small hole in the wooden wall. If it goes through you get to ask the other a question and they get a drink from the bottle Gilion left in his horse's stall. If it doesn't, you get to clean a horse stall.

The drink must have been strong for after a couple of them, both the prince and the Avari shared a few secrets. Sui admitted having stolen a necklace that Alkien was given by his wife, because she wanted a souvenir of him when he left home for months. If he found out about this, he might just kill her! She also grumbled about how cooking was 'a time consuming pain in the _ass_' and sewing 'shouldn't even_ fucking_ exist'. And Legolas told her all about the fellowship and his befriending of a dwarf. The girl only comments were 'if it's true, then you all risked your lives for a jewel. It's dumb, you shouldn't brag about it.' and 'Dwarves are cool _dudes_. I never met any, but their ale is a _blast!_'.

"_ You get to clean a stall!" shouted the Silvan.

"_ I'm not doing it!" she protested, "not 'till you've answered the question I asked!"

"_ I told you, the answer is...too personal...And I took a shot so let's leave it there!"

"_ Rooooh common! I told you my breast mensuration for god's sake!"

"_ I asked for your overall size, never for your breast size." he shot her a mean glare. He wished he could erase hat over-shared information from his brain.

"_ Yeah, well, you already have it! Now commmoooooon," she begged "You made me curious! Assume the consequences!" she moved closer to him.

He shook his head. " Say it or I'm throwing what's inside at you." she grabbed the bottle of liquor to threaten him with it.

"_ If you clean the next 5 stalls I have to clean I will tell you."

"_ There's only one left to clean for me now, how am I supposed to clean 5 more?"

"_ Then you can wash horses instead."

"_ I clean the stall I have to, and 2 horses in your stead if you loose. How does that sound?"

"_ 3 horses."

"_ Deal!" She walked to the last dirty stall "Now, talk!"

"_ You never saw my mother because she passed away when I was a child" he spoke on a low tone, "I wouldn't remember her face if it wasn't for the statue in the gardens." his voice had been filled with emotion.

Upon hearing this, Sui dropped her tool and ceased the cleaning to go back and hug the prince. When she asked, a few minutes ago, where was his mother and why she only heard rumours about his father and none about his mother, she wasn't expecting that. She had been hopping to hear some crispy gossip like ' my mother left my father for another ' or ' Actually, she's a monster, so we hide her where no one can see her face '.

"_What are you doing?" the prince finally asked hesitantly after a few seconds of the awkwardest hug he's ever been given. Obviously, both of them were uncomfortable in this embrace.

"_ Comforting you a little. Or at least trying." she clarified. "I know what it feels like to lose someone dear to you."

He moved one arm to her back, applying almost no pressure, to return the hug.

"_Who did you loose?" he asked compassionately.

The elleth broke the hug and walked back to the stall she was supposed to be cleaning.

"_ I don't remember seeing you throw a rock through the hole." she said, without turning around to look at him.

Legolas didn't appreciate the sudden distance she put between them. He had just let himself be seen vulnerable, because he was drunk indeed, but still, he revealed himself and she was refusing to do the same.

_'If she doesn't say it willingly, I'll get it out of her._' He took a rock, used all the control he had left over his body to throw a rock. It went right through the whole.

"_ Who did you loose?"he walked up to her to hand her the liquor " here's a drink to help you talk!" he smirked.

There was no tension despite the provocation.

"_ Both, my parents." she took the bottle and swallowed a mouthful of it.

"_ Sorry..." he lowered his gaze, ashamed of having childishly pushed her to 'open up'.

"_ Relax, I'm over it." she gave him a friendly tap on the shoulder. He smiled then put a small rock in her hand.

"_ Your turn!"

With one hand she gave him back the bottle while closing the other around the rock before returning near the buckets they were sitting on to throw the rock. It went through.

"_ _YES_!" her enthusiasm was back "What does your name mean? Oh and drink!"

"_ 'Legolas' is the Silvan dialect form of the Sindarin 'Laegolas_'._."

She burst out in laughter.

"_ So your name actually means 'green leaf'." she stopped talking to laugh some more. "Man, it's a bad name." she added still mocking him. He picked up and threw a rock at her.

"_ What does **yours** mean?"

"_ Apple." she said proudly. "Seriously who came up with that name?" she went back to teasing him on his name.

"_ My father..."he said rolling his eyes, not wanting to talk about it any more. He didn't need her to tell him his name was 'funny'. He knew it already. Rivendell's twins made it clear every time they saw him.

"_ Well, he's got terrible tastes!" she provoked some more.

Legolas knew this to be true; his father's summer crown made everyone agree on that fact; but her provocation called for a reaction.

The prince, tightened his hold on the bottle and, with a brusque movement, projected the rest of alcohol inside the bottle on the Avari. She yanked in disgust and looked at him as if to kill him with her eyes. Then broke the tension with another loud laughter, joined by the Silvan's.

"_ I'll get you a towel." he said, then headed towards the door, then stopped and turn around, "Don't leave this place!"he warned, turning around again before stopping his motion to add: "Don't go anywhere close the elk either.". And before going through the door he finished with "Actually, don't move and don't touch anything! Just sit there until I come back, please."

She rolled her eyes and nodded to relive his stress.


	8. Chapter 7: Part 2: No moral

**Chapter 7: Part 2: People with no moral**

When walking back to the stables with a towel, Legolas recognised Alkien's shape from afar. He thought about hiding for a second: what would the Captain think if he saw him there, just walking around, half drunk, after the previous incident? But if the blond elf had seen him, surely the Avari men had seen him too so there was no avoiding the other him.

"_ You left her alone again." Once again, Alkien was making a statement using that accusing sounding tone of him, that didn't sound like he was accusing any one of anything.

"_ Yes I have. However this time, I am confident she won't do anything reckless." he seemed sure of himself.

"_ Good." said the Captain, only half believing the situation was under control. "That's one thing her parents would like to hear."

Confusion sled on the Silvan's face.

"_ You mean, something they **would have liked** to hear." he corrected.

Alkien raised a brow.

"_ Sui's parents are very much alive, still." The Avari now furrowing his brows. "Why did you think they were dead?" he suspected something might be going on since the younger elf's expression was now unrecognisable.

"_ It's just..." Legolas hesitated feeling his body warming up as he was about to lie to someone he respected. "She never mentioned them and since you seem to be the person caring for her I assumed...the worst." He was sweating.

"_ Your highness, are you drunk **on duty**?" Alkien asked noticing the other elf's agitation and smelling the alcohol on him

"_No-o!" he panicked, "I just... she broke a bottle that was hidden in a stall, it stained both of us." he lied, showing an old stains on his tunic.

Alkien locked his eyes with the prince for a few seconds, he knew the younger elf was lying but decided that having an argument now would be a wasted of his precious time. He wanted to reorganise the scout parties with Galdor and avoid getting involved in any more irrelevant issues like such. He started walking away but was stopped by the wood elf.

"_ My Lord, I have a question. What does her name, 'Sui' mean?"

"_ 'Sui' is not her name. It is the short for '_Suikhé pa rathet mel rein'. _The expression doesn't translate well, but it comes close to 'deceiving' or ' always in need of change'. We call her that because of her aleatory way of fighting." he paused to breathe. "It fits her better than her given name, if you want my opinion. Her real name translates into 'Mature Apple'. But she is not fruit anyone would want a bite of: she is too bitter and hides quite a few worms."

"_ What is her real name?"

* * *

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* * *

Sui was laying down, in horse hay, when the stables' door slammed open, scaring her and the horses. She stoop up quickly only to have a towel thrown at her face.

"_ What was that for?" she growled, taking the towel off her face. "I though we were cool now." she raised her head to look at the prince's indignated face.

"_ **Lyvaïa**, you lied to me." He was resentful.

At the sudden use of her given name, Sui froze. She knew he knew.

"_Who told you my name?" she asked, on a blank tone.

"_ Alkien did." he paused and formed a cruel smirk on his face. "I am not sure if I should get angry at you, congratulate you for your incredible lying abilities, or thank you for teaching me a good lesson about trust.", he laughed nervously. "You're such a hypocrite. Faking compassion and pretending to be a friend... I can't believe I-"

"_ You're not one to talk!" she snapped back, interrupting him. "You pretend to be a perfect, _charming_ prince with your betrothed and **take care **ofgreen eyes in her back."

The words came out like razor blades, cutting Legolas's body in small pieces. The elf felt his body become heavier and warmer, his breathing fasten. She could ruin everything.

"_ How do y-"

"_ I saw you in the forest when I was riding the elk." she explained. " You were too busy cuddling to notice my presence.",she accused.

The Silvan's face turned white.

"_ Tell anyone and I'll let Alkien know that YOU stole the necklace his wife gave him." he threatened, not showing any emotion. "I'll have someone else watch you from tomorrow on; seeing your face twists my intestines." he spat before leaving the stables in a rush.

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* * *

Nellil had spent half of the day conversing with Únel and the other half questioning random Avari people to get to understand their culture better. Albien had been a good help: he introduced her to welcoming people and translated everything for her. But he had to leave her and the Sindar butler (Gilion, who accompanied her to the camp) alone, when a short elleth and a taller elf with identical green eyes told him something in Avari tongue. He had looked annoyed and sighed a lot so she proposed to help with whatever seemed to be a problem but he turned her down. Rude. She was only trying to be nice.

It was now late in the night and she wanted to rest her feet in the calm and comfort of her room so she retired there, only to find someone laying like a starfish, face buried in her pillows, in her bed.

"_ What are you doing here!" she exclaimed a little bit irritated at the intrusion. "You're not allowed in those compartments! Not until we are wed!" she put on her usual cute pout on, just on time for Legolas to see it when he turned around. "How did you even get here!? They are mean governantes guarding the doors from male presence!"

"_ I snuck in through the window..." he admitted. She gave him a judgy glare. "I'm not proud of myself! But you leave me no choice!" he pouted.

"_ What do you mean?" , her face relaxed and her tone was innocent. She honestly had no idea what he was talking about.

"_ Well, you have been avoiding me.", he complained, moving to a sitting position on the mattress.

"_ No I haven't!" she exclaimed, crossing her arms. She didn't like being accused of things she hadn't done.

"_ Then why haven't I seen you since your first night here? Why do you ditch your servants and let no one know where you go? You didn't even join us for dinner tonight." he said, letting her know by the tone of his voice, that he was hurt. She let her arms fall on each side of her body and smiled at him.

"_ You haven't seen me since since my first night here because I have been busy making new friends, and planning the party." she sat on the bed side and caressed his cheek. "I am sorry, I didn't mean for you to feel abandoned". She kissed his cheek, which made hers turn intensely red.

He smiled at her and took her hand too kiss it.

"_ So tell me, who are your new friends?" He was curious.

"_ Well, first, there is this Avari, Albien, but he wants me to call him 'Sir'." she rolled her eyes. "He is teaching me about their culture. Second, there is a new lady at the court who travelled A- LOT. She is breathtaking. I think you would like her! She too can use a bow. Her name is Únel!". She was exited about sharing her tiny adventures with her beloved. However he hadn't looked too pleased from the moment she said 'Avari' and turned whiter than a corpse when he heard 'Únel'. Nellil sighed and took her hand out of his. "What did I do wrong?" she frowned.

The princess had no idea what was going on in the prince's head.

He didn't show it but he was stressed. _'Does she know? No. She can't know, the pest wouldn't tell anyone, would she?No, she wouldn't. Besides, if she knew, she would be angry, not asking me what she did wrong. She probably thinks I disapprove about the Avari. Yes, yes, that must be it." _he rationalized.

"_ Nothing it's just...It's a good thing you are making new friends." he assured her. "Although, I'm not comfortable about you being alone with Avari people. They do not strike me as trustworthy people."

She raised a brow.

"_ Are you referential to the maid again?"

He sighed and bent his head down as he remembered how he opened to someone he thought would become a good friend only to have his hopes and feeling crushed down to the floor and spat on by a betrayal.

"_ Lest us have a good moment together and keep her out of this discussion, please." he begged, not offering an explanation.

"_ All right... Could it be that you are jealous then?" she teased, smirking.

He raised his head back up in a second.

"_ I am not jealous!", he protested, as she chuckled. "I simply cannot attend to my tasks knowing you among strangers. You should always have someone accompany you, at least when you go there." he said not quite aggressively but firmly enough for Nellil to feel attacked. Upon hearing this, she frowned again, crossed her arms and turned to show him her back. She disliked when he was acting with her the way he always complained everyone was acting with him: over-protectively.

He nicely put a hand on her shoulder and added tenderly "It is not an order, it is only a request. It would be an enormous weight lifted off my mind if you agreed."

She relaxed and said, still pouting a little bit:

"_ I will ask Galion to come with me again next time."

"_ Thank you." He wrapped his arms around her.

Surprised and slightly uncomfortable, she jumped off his embrace, to her feet.

"_ W-we should t-take a walk in the garden!" she stuttered, still red from the previous contact.

Legolas held inside both a frown and a sigh. In this kind of moment he really questioned how old his betrothed was. She was supposed to be only about two or three hundred years younger than he was, but acted like teenager; getting all acted up by almost all gestures of affection, even when insignificant. It was frustrating. Of course elves have a lot of control over their body's need but a minimum of physical contact is always welcomed. Also what was she thinking? True, they were in a room, alone, but he was conscious that she was not ready to be touched in a sexual way, so he wouldn't even try. And if she thought he wanted to do more than feel her, then she was far from the truth: he wasn't ready to bind himself to her for life. Not yet, anyway.

"_ I am too tired to walk in the garden." he said, lazily laying back on the bed again. "I just want to sleep here, close to you." he smiled innocently. "I promise I won't misbehave. I really just want to fall asleep in your arms!" She didn't move so he sat back up and added "But I can leave now. If you want to be alone for the night, I understand."

She hesitated a little, but went to sit near him again.

"_ No it's okay. I trust you." she said not looking at him yet. "Besides, you have the face of someone in need of comfort, so please, stay."


	9. Chapter 8: I plead Guilty

**Chapter 8: I plead Guilty **

(4th day of the Avari in Greenwood)**  
**

* * *

The sun wasn't up yet and Ólion and Legolas had been on duty of guard watch for about 2 hours. Instead they had only really been sitting on the wall, gossiping like young maidens would after buying a new dress or kissing a new boy.

The prince was bragging. He had been with the pretty Nellil for the hole night and he had gotten her to open up more than he thought was possible. "I held her so close she was trembling." he had said. He had also added that she let him caress her thighs "and by the Valar they are soft!" and something about making out. To that all Ólion answered was "Enjoy it while it last, because after the next week's party the twins are coming in town.". Needless to say that the blond elf choked on this information and almost fall off the wall.

"_ Shit! Noooo! Shit! Shit, shit!" he grabbed his hair hysterically "They will ruin everything!" he cried out.

"_What are you talking about? They do like to prank you... a lot, but they aren't that bad. No need to cry about it." he patted his friend's back.

"_ You don't understand! They will put their noses everywhere and find out abou-" he stopped himself realising what he was about to reveal.

"_ Find out about what?" asked Ólion offended that Legolas was hiding something from him, his childhood friend.

"_ I..." he didn't know how to put it in a full sentence, so instead of explaining everything, he simply said "Únel." lowering his head in shame.

"_WHAAAAT?!" Ólion screamed! He knew very well that if this elleth was involved, clothes probably weren't. "WHAT HAPPENED?! What did you do, Legolas?"

The prince bit his lips.

"_ I-I...went into woods with her, we shot a few arrows then laid down...and cuddled...and I might have touched her..." the other elf shot him a mean glare so he quickly added "But nothing too serious, you know. Nothing more than I did with Nellil last night!"

Ólion looked perplex for a second, not sure how to knock some sense into this little prince's head.

"_ Okay first, high five! She is still stunning!" he admitted, raising his hand for his friend to slap the flat of it. But instead of letting their hands meet, Ólion grabbed Legolas' wrist at the last moment and hit him with his own hand. Twice. Before scolding him: "What is wrong with you! Have you gone insane?! Do you want to have your _gweth_ cut off by Nellil's father?!"

"_ I know it's bad! I feel guilty for this..." he grimaced.

"_ No! It's not bad! It's a thousands times worst than that! What the hell were you thinking?!" he grounded.

"_ Honestly?" he waited for the other to nod, "I just wanted to rip her clothes off.." he admitted. "I didn't go that far though.".

There was a minute of silence.

"_Okay, here is what we're going to do." started Ólion. " We will pretend that it never happened." he pointed at Legolas with his index "And, YOU**, **don't even breathe the same her as Únel!" he warned, "Or you will fall for it again." He paused then finished with: "I doubt she will tell anything to anyone if she plans on staying here."

"_ She does?" asked the prince. "She's not leaving again?"

Ólion hit the back of his head to bring him back on Middle earth.

"_ Get your priorities straight! Don't make things worse than they already are!"

Legolas grimaced.

"_ I haven't told you the worse yet..."

Ólion put his hand on his face in exasperation then used it to hit the other elf again.

"_ You don't even know what I've done yet!"

"_ It's in prevision of what is coming. I have a feeling I am going to dislike it." he complained. "Now, go on. What else could you possibly have done?"

"_ The pest saw us." said the Silvan, not meeting his friend's gaze.

The lower elf opened his eye wide. The new development was most unpleasant. So he pinched the prince's arm. Hard. So hard he let escape a small scream of pain. But he didn't complain: he knew he deserved it both for having cheated and for having been caught while doing it.

"_ You are so dead." This time Ólion wasn't shouting any more, he was only stating a fact. Having nothing else to say, he stood up and readied himself to leave, however, he suddenly realised something. "Wait, is that the reason why you want me to watch after your Avari girl from now on? Because you're scared of what she will do?"

Legolas did not answer right away. He grimaced before admitting something else:.

"_ I kind of threatened her...so she won't say anything. I just really don't want to see her lying face again."

"_You threatened an elfling?!"he exclaimed. Legolas's grimace amplified. He wasn't proud of himself for any of this."Unbelievable." concluded Ólion, before leaving.

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* * *

Sui was waiting at the usual spot, at the usual time for someone to show up. She knew the prince wouldn't come today, but wasn't sure who to expect, and was trying to find a way to avoid having to clean anything today. Maybe the new 'supervisor' would be easy to convince into letting her go elsewhere. Perhaps she could manipulate him into it. And if he was too smart for that...well...she could still force him to let her go by being despicable and moody.

"_ Hey." said a voice on a linear tone coming from behind her.

"_ Hey." she answered,, on the same unimpressed tone while turning around to face the elf. It was her first time to see him. Or so she thought. All the wood elves had the same face to her so it wasn't a surprise she didn't recognise him from anywhere. Although, he was as tall as Avari men and almost as broad. Only his long shiny red hair betrayed his origin.

"_ Are you Sui?", he raised his brows.

"_ Maybe." she shrugged.

He furrowed a brow and raised the other one. She was undoubtedly the elleth he was looking for. And she promised to be as interesting as expected.

"_ My name is Ólion." he introduced himself. "His highness tasked me with supervising you today." he explained. She didn't answer and simply stared at him, uninterested. "Today, you will rearrange the armoury." he told her.

She smiled.

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* * *

As he was jumping from one branch to another in a sprint, Legolas miscalculated the distance between both, missing from a few inches the spot he was supposed to lend on. Gravity tried to bring him down to the floor, which would have resulted in numerous broken bones, if Mhélir strong arms hadn't caught him right on time. The Avari elf brought the blond elf back to his feet, cursing in his tongue at the same time.

The wood elf shot him a disapproving glare.

"_ There was no need to insult me. Errors such as these happen." he calmly told the other elf.

"_ It was the third time today. If your mind is elsewhere, maybe you shouldn't be out scouting in a forest infested with orcs. You can go back, we are still close to the palace." answered the Avari, getting ready to sprint again. But he stopped himself. "What makes you think I insulted you?" Mhélir asked, curious to how Eryn Lasgalen's prince came to learn Avari swear words when, so far, he hadn't even tried befriending any of them.

"_ A young Avari girl taught me a few words. These were among them." he explained.

Mhélir smirked. Sui must have called him a _'weak retarded dwarf troll_' quite a few times for him to have memorized it.

"_ Huh! You must mean she insulted you." he corrected the prince.

"_ Do you know of whom I spoke?"

" _No." he lied, then broke in a run.

Legolas followed close behind. He wouldn't let go of the matter. True, he had almost fallen three times, and each time the dark skinned elf caught him, but it was only because there were too many things going on in his mind right now: he shouldn't be judged on his physical abilities at the moment.

"_ By the way, I am not weak. And neither am I retarded." he threw, keeping his cool.

"_ Then please, focus, my Lord. Because you are slowing us down."

_'Why are all Avari so stoic!?'_ thought the prince.

"_You know, we don't have a time limit to scout this area. There is no need to rush." assured the prince.

"_ I have more important things to take care of. I am sure that you too would like to be elsewhere, your Highness. So let's get done with this as fast as we can." said the green eyed Avari.

The few next time the prince tried to converse with him, Mhélir pretended not to understand Sindarin as well as he actually did, hoping the wood elf would give up on asking questions. However, Legolas's tongue seemed to be tireless. So he decided to ignore him all together.

* * *

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* * *

Back in the armoury, Sui was in a good mood. Probably the best she had been ever since coming to the Greenwood the Great. Because she was sanctioned, Alkien had also forbidden her to train or use any kind of blade: she would enjoy it too much. But Ólion didn't know that. And as long as she sharpened and reorganised the swords, he didn't seem to care much about what she was doing, nor how she was doing it. So she practiced: dancing around swinging swords, happily attacking wooden dummies, kicking and punching heavy bags of sands hanging from the ceiling... Ólion simply sat around, helping a little bit, making conversation and eating snacks.

"_ So basically, if I beat you in a fight, you will then owe me respect?" he asked for confirmation, sitting on a bag of sand, finishing an apple.

"_ Exactly!" replied Sui between two kicks.

"_ Is having a duel mandatory?" he tried to articulates while chewing. "Because," he paused because of the chewing. "I doubt that you fought that enormous guy on your camp," he chewed again." and I'm pretty sure you are **very** careful to not rub your massive vice Captain the wrong way."

"_ Yeah," she puffed "of course not." She switched to punching a dummy.

The elf waited a minute for the elleth to explain things in more details, but she seemed too absorbed by the punching.

"_ Care to elaborate?" he pushed.

Sui butt-headed the bag and ended up on the floor, panting and slightly disoriented. Ólion failed to contain his amusement and laughed. He got up to help the girl back on her feet and offered some water. She swallowed half of the bottle's content before clarifying things for the wood elf.

"_ I know what The Colossal is worth in combat. There even are close to 21 songs about how strong he is, can you believe that?" she asked rhetorically, making a face. "_Anyway_, the point is that since he's obviously stronger, and I know it, and every one else too, I would be insulting him if I even asked him in a duel."

"_Okay...so if I get everything right: when the other person has already proven themselves in combat, or if it is obvious that they are stronger than you are," he paused to think "You have to respect them even though you never fought them."

"_Yup that's it." she confirmed. "Also, you don't have to fight people who are stronger than the people you fought with and couldn't beat either to owe them respect. Unless they don't look very strong and you feel like you can beat them." Ólion looked confused now, but she kept going. "And sometimes people want to fight you in although they know you are weaker just to put you back at your place if you tease them too much." she finished.

"_ Then why do you talk back to your Captain and torture Legolas?" he asked, still not completely grasping the meaning of everything she had said.

"_ Alkien is the person I respect the most, but he's like family, you see," she drunk some more water." So I don't have to show that I respect him unless I'm on duty. And about _blondie_..." she sighed. "Well I don't like him, I've never seen him fight, and he doesn't look very strong...So I don't owe him anything." she explained.

"_ Didn't he tell you about the fellowship of the ring? You know, a King, a few brave Hobbits, a strong man, a Dwarf, Mithrandir and him saving the world? Nothing too impressive..."he said sarcastically.

"_ Yes, he told me about it." she furrowed a brow, remembering the story. " But it was the first time I ever heard about it. And rings don't talk. Plus risking one's life for a jewel is _dumb_! If everyone wanted it, they should have just asked someone to make some more rings, on the same model. They would have avoided all this trouble."

Ólion laughed. He thought that inability of hers not to grasp the importance of things was funny. He wandered how she could see things under such simple angles, even when they were nothing else but complex.

"_ Fair enough, I guess. Although, if you hate Legolas so much, why did you tell him about the necklace you stole?" The elleth jaw dropped open at the mention of the necklace. "He tells me everything." offered Ólion. "But relax, I'll keep it to myself." he assured her.

"_ _That orc faced troll_! We had a deal! _He was supposed to keep his mouth shut!_" She kicked the sandbag out of anger. It moved and hit the older elf.

"_ Is that your way of provoking me in a duel?" he joked rubbing his side, where the bag hit him. She laughed.

"_ It wasn't the goal, but I would love too fight!" she exclaimed excited, running to grab a sword. "I haven't fought it in a long while!"

"_ I thought Avari trained every day?" he asked, referring to what she had told him earlier today.

"_ We do! But I'm being punished, remember?" she said, exasperation peeking through her tone.

"_ Oh, what a terrible punishment!" he was sarcastic. "You get not to scout, not to get bruises and not to see orcs ugly faces! This must be awe full!" he teased.

She stuck her tongue out at him.

"_ Are you going to pick up a sword or are you afraid to fight a elleth?" she provoked.

Ólion, grabbed a sword.

"_ I'm warning you, I won't hold back!"

* * *

_gweth= sindarin for penis _


	10. Chapter 9 : Incompetent elf detected

**Chapter 9 : Incompetent elf detected**

ellon = a male elf

ellyn = male elves

ellith = female elves

* * *

It was the middle of the afternoon, on the second day after Avari and wood elves joined forces to scout the forest in order to determine how bad the orc infestation was. Mhéléane who had been scouting all morning was now sitting, irritated, in the infirmary, back in the Sindars' caverns, trying to hold still to facilitate the tending of her wound by the nurse. The injury wasn't as bad as to threaten her life but was deep enough to require stitches. She twitched from the pain from time to time or bit her lips not to whimper. The nurse talking to her in Sindarin, of which she barely understood a word, wasn't helping soothing her mood. Staring at the ground, she was wandering how much more annoying this situation could become when people sat in the bed in front of the one she was sitting on, in the main room.

One wore fine brown leather boots, dirtied by sand and the other wore..no shoes?! Recalling that the only person always walking around barefoot was her friend she smirked and raised her head to meet her gaze. However, her eyes didn't go higher that the elleth's bleeding arm.

"__What happened to you?_" asked Mhéléane, wandering how Sui could have gotten hurt when she wasn't supposed to go near a blade.

Sui looked down at her bleeding gash on which she applied pressure with an old piece of cloth, grimaced and explained:

"_ _I provoked _Ólion _in a sword duel._" she pointed at him with a move of the head "_He kicked my ass." _she said annoyed by the situation.

Mhéléane looked at the elf sitting near her friend. He hadn't reacted at the mention of his name and had just been sitting still, starring at her the whole time. She examined every part of him. He only had one cut and only a few insignificant bruises, but was still out of breath. She must have made him run all over the place. _'Trying to win by tiring your adversary in order to finish him easily. Classic! You're even lazier when you fight!' _thought the green eyed Avari. She also wandered if the issue of the duel would have been the same if Sui had fought with her knives and not a sword. Sui was terrible with swords. Almost all the other trainees could beat her when she fought with one. But when she had her knives...

"_ _What about yo__u?_" asked Sui, cutting Mhéléane in her thoughts.

"_ _The idiot wood elf they paired me with for the scouting shot me with an arrow. By accident._" Mhéléane twitched because of the pain in her arm. She glanced at Ólion and met his eyes. She tilted her head and not taking her eyes of him she asked "_What is wrong that one? He is has been looking at me funny ever since he sat down._" She frowned.

Sui turned her head to look at her new friend. He was in fact starring at Mhélir's sister in a rather intense way.

"_ Is that your way to court her?" she switched to Sindarin to speak to him.

Hearing that something was being directed to him, but without hearing the question, Ólion blinked out of his 'trance' and turned his head to look at his interlocutor.

"_ What-"

"_ It's okay she doesn't speak a word of Sindarin. Look." she looked at Mhéléane again and said "You are weak." There was no reaction from Mhéléane. She still had her head tilted to the side and her eyes fixed on the ellon. Sui brought back her eyes on Ólion " See, sh-"

A noisy and agitated group of person entering the room caught her attention. The cacophonous mass moved, in a tight group, to a private room at the back. Mhéléane, Sui and Ólion followed them with their eyes as they crossed the main room, not noticing that one person alienating themselves from it to walk up to them. Once the ellon was too close to be ignored, they all looked at him.

"_ _What are you doing here?_" said Mhélir, worried at the sight of his darling sister's bleeding arm. "_Are yo-_"

"_ _I'm fine!_" growled Mhéléane, moving her non wounded arm to tell him to leave her alone.

Her brother's face showed discomfort and hurt from the sudden rejection. Then ignoring Ólion, he turned to Sui.

"_ _What happened to the both of you? Did you have an argument again?_" he asked, knowing that his sister's friend would offer a proper explanation and recalling the last time the two girls had different opinions on something.

"_ _She was shot by an incapable wood elf and I lost a duel," _she pointed at at Ólion._ "he won_."

"_ Why are you here?" Ólion intruded the conversation as politely as he could. He had been there the day the scouting pairs were made and knew Mhélir was appointed to be Legolas's partner in the task. He also knew that both the green eyed Avari ellon and Legolas were supposed to be scouting right now. Seeing the Avari here and not his friend worried him.

"_ Your prince was shot by a poisonous orc arrow, he didn't coordinate his movement to mine in close fighting so he also met my sword, and later, he hit a tree at full speed."

Mhéléane did not grasp a word of the conversation but was intrigued by it because of her friend's face. In fact, the slightly older elleth's expression was one of both shock and amusement, which made her look ridiculous.

Sui exploded in laughters and Ólion eyes grew gigantically round.

* * *

A door at the back of the infirmary opened. A blond head peaked out of it, looking around as if searching for something. His eyes stopped on the ground from where loud laughters came from. He did not recognised the voice but noticed his childhood friend sitting in front the noisy elleth. He looked right, then left, jumped out of the room and without attracting attention hobbled his way to Ólion.

"_ Your prince can't fight! He ran into a tree! What a-eeek" she screamed as someone arms showed around the red haired wood elf she was talking to, surprising her in the middle of her speech.

"_ Ólion, please!" wailed the prince, not looking at whoever else was around. "Take me home before they find me! They want to sedate me! I don't want to be knocked out for the night! Please help me to the safety my bed! NOW!" he cried.

Ólion face-palmed himself. By acting like an elfling, Legolas had just ruined all the arguments he gave Sui to convince her that despite the tree incident, the prince was a strong, very mature and focused elf. Now, he would never get her any close to even think about the possibility of thinking about respecting the prince one day.

Not feeling his friend move or react in anyway, Legolas retrieved his head out of his friends neck to find three Avari with mocking smiles on their lips looking at him. He frowned and sighed. The first one he saw was Mhélir. Now his scouting partner would underestimate him forever. The second one, he hadn't seen before. The thoughts that she was really good looking and that she resembled Mhélir A LOT crossed his mind at the same time, which disturbed him and caused him to grimace slightly. The third one, WAIT! _'The pest!_' He held her mocking gaze and gave her the same cold glare he receives from his father when he angers him.

Ólion didn't notice his friend was busy trying to scare the not-so-bad-after-all Avari girl and stood up to position himself right in front of him, blocking his view.

Legolas relaxed his face and raised his gaze to look at his friend's face.

"_ Alright, let's go." said Ólion.

The red headed elf helped the Silvan up. The blond ellon rested a lot of weight on his friend. His left leg hurt from the gash left by Mhélir's sword. He also had bandages around his forehead and and right upper arm. Like it happened to Mhéléane, the arrow only cut the side of his shoulder. However the rest of poison in his body made him dizzy every now and then.

* * *

Not long after Legolas and Ólion started walking away, the nurse tending Mhéléane left the group as well. Despite the distraction caused by the argument between Ólion and Sui, her job had been easy since the green eyed Avari elleth had barely moved.

In the mean time, the three Avari were still starring at the two friends difficultly walking away until Mhéléane broke the silence.

"_ _You were right._" she agreed "_He is angry at you_."

Sui was starring into nothing and didn't hear anything.

"_ _I don't think it matters to her._" told Mhélhir to his sister without noticing either that Sui wasn't following the conversation.

The siblings looked expectantly and insistently at the third Avari, getting impatient for an answer.

"_ _Sui_?" Mhélhéane caught her attention.

"_ _Hm_?" replied the brown eyed elleth.

"_ _Do you actually care ?_" Mhélir's tone was one of shock. Since when did she concern herself with other people's opinion about her?

"_ _I wasn't following, do I care about what?"_ she asked before quickly adding "_Actually never mind_," she shrugged "_I don't care._"

The siblings exchanged wandering looks, not really sure about what had just happened until the youngest motioned for the other to leave. An 'elleth to elleth' talk seemed to be needed, so the ellon left without asking any question.

The second Mhélir abandoned his sit, an elleth with almond shaped eyes sat on it. She came to tend Sui's cut. It was still bleeding. The cut started from the wrist and went up to the elbow. It wasn't deep but numerous small veins had been cut open.

After examining the gash, she told Sui it couldn't be stitched and explained that she shouldn't be using her arm for at least two days to give the veins enough time to heal. The Avari girl growled as a response. She had noticed sooner that the bruises on Ólion's body had almost completely disappeared when he left, while hers were still red and fresh. She concluded that wood elves healed twice faster than Avari and therefore, the two days of convalescence she was supposed to take would turn into three or four days.

The nurse started a special elf massage to stop the bleeding while the Avari kept talking, ignoring her presence.

"_ _Do you feel guilty_?"

"_ _For what?_" Sui truly had no idea what her friend meant by that.

"_ _You know, lying to prince-face, breaking his trust and stepping on it when all he did was opening up to you and being nice."_Mhéléane never went easy on her friend. The ellith believed that honesty was the pillar of every good and healthy relationships so they always shared what they thought without wearing gloves: they could handle honest and hurtful opinions.

Sui cursed under her breath.

"_ _I never said he was nice._" she grumbled.

"_ _No, you __just avoided saying the word."_she corrected. "_You described him as 'decent', 'sensitive', and 'fair play'. Those were your exact words. _"she commented.

"_ _Ah! fuck off!_" the shortest elleth protested.

"_ _That's not answering my question._" stated Mhéléane.

"_ _Haaa..._" Sui sighed. "_No. I don't feel guilty._". She paused to look at her injury, which was now almost fully bandaged. She hadn't twitched once during the process. "_He has known me for what? three, four days? He shouldn't believe everything I say." _she stated, before speaking to herself in Sindarin "That prince is too naïve..."

Mhéléhane didn't have enough time to answer: the nurse spoke faster.

"_ Could you be talking about prince Legolas? Do you know him? Do you know how he fares?" she asked.

Annoyed by more questions about the blond elf, Sui shook her head in annoyance and left, her wound not fully bandaged. Mhéléane, amused, followed her outside.

Únel, the nurse, was taken aback by such a reaction. It was rude to ignore her questions and disrespecting to her status as healer to leave without letting her finish the job.

* * *

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* * *

Ólion brought Legolas back to his room. The journey took Legolas a lot of efforts and a lot of time. Due to his random dizziness, the ellyn to had make a few stops so that the prince could gather what was strengths he had left and rest a little. He was exhausted. As soon as the blond elf had laid down he had fallen asleep, leaving the task of taking his boots off to his friend.

After doing so, Ólion got out of the room. He closed the door behind him, laid back on it, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He opened his eyes to find blue ones staring right back into his. He would have jumped back in surprise if he could have but there was no room to do so behind him.

"_ How is he?" asked Nellil, coming closer. "Good?" she forced a smile on her delicate face. "BAD?" her smile disappeared. She grabbed his shirt and shook him him. No one would have suspected her to have so much strength: she almost ripped the fabric of his shirt with her strong hold.

"_ He is fi-i-i-i-i-ine!" said Ólion as he was being shook.

Reassured, she stopped shaking him but did not relax her grip on his shirt.

"_ Is he sleeping? Is he awake?"she spoke really fast, glancing at the door. "Can I see him? Can I see him?"

That said, without letting Ólion any time to answer, she released him, looked at him for less than a second then pushed him out of her way to run through the door, closing it behind her.

He had wanted to stop her so that Legolas wouldn't be troubled in his much needed rest but she had acted too quickly and spontaneously. All he had had the time to do was turning around right in time to see the door close itself. He sighed and turned back around to leave.

This time there was enough space for him to jump back in surprise. And by doing so, his head hit the door behind him. He brought a hand to where his head was hurting and asked coldly:

"_ What do you want, my Lady?"

"_ What is it with the attitude?" asked Únel. She gave him a condescending look. She didn't like being talked to on a judging or aggressive tone like this one.

"_ I know." he said, referring to the events that occurred in the forest between her and his friend.

"_ Oh." She looked down for a second. " We hadn't planned for that to happen. But I am not here to discuss it." she brought her eyes back on Ólion's. "How is he?"

"_ Good enough considering the concussion and the poisoning. He will back on his feet in three, maybe two days if he rests well." He put his hands on his hips and stood up straight.

"_ I see." she copied his posture to show she was not impressed. "Could you let me in so that I can see for myself?" she put a hand on the door nob to try to open the it, not minding that the other elf was in front of it.

"_ No. He is not alone." He blocked her hand. "His betrothed is with him, and you are neither allowed nor wanted there."

"_ I still need to get in." she insisted. "I'm here to sedate him so that he can sleep more profoundly and recover faster." she explained, taking the sedative plants our of her pocket to present them to the ellon.

"_ I don't think-Aouch" The door opened from behind him, hitting him on the head again.

"_ Ah!" screamed Nellil, surprised. "Únel!" she exclaimed. Nellil looked at the other elleth's hands and noticed what she was holding. "Is that the sedative I asked for the prince?"

"_Yes, I'm here to-"

Nellil didn't wait for the sentence to be finished and ceased the plants before energetically saying 'thank you' and going back inside the room, closing the locking the door behind her.

Únel was dumbfounded by the rudeness of the younger elleth. Weren't they friends now? How could she close the door at her nose like that, cutting her in her sentence, robbing her opportunity to be reassured about Legolas's health.

Seeing her face, Ólion laughed: for once, he wasn't the one looking like an idiot.

"_ L-let's get hahahahhaha som- hahaha something to eat." he difficultly proposed whiled laughing.

She nodded although she was not too please to be made fun of by a lazy low elf. He held his hand to be polite and let her walk in front of him.

In the kitchen, both of them talked for a long while. First, hey joked about the good old time, when Ólion struggled to cover for Legolas when he was on duty but ditched work to hang out with Únel. They also commented on how the prince used to be so intrepid, daring and reckless when he was younger. Then, they regretted the years when everything was so simple, when none of them had a profession and nothing much was expected from any of them. Finally, with all due respect, Ólion asked the green eyed elleth to stop playing with his friend's feelings. He explained in length how she was putting his sanity in danger by playing seductive games with him when he had a betrothed to charm, a father to impress and an Avari girl to tame. He pointed out that in addition to her being around, those were the reasons why Legolas lacked focus and ended up running in a tree during the day. She listened carefully but gave no answer. They finished eating in silence then returned to their respective posts: Únel in the infirmary and Ólion on watch.


	11. Chapter10: Everyone loves a wounded bird

**Chapter 10 :Everyone likes a wounded bird  
**

From the window of her high perched room, her shining blond hair running down her spine, all the way to her tiny waist, Nellil was observing attentively a large group of person gathered far away, around the training range. Ellith and ellyn, Avari and wood elves were mixing all together and slowly positioning themselves in perfectly ordered lines. When each and everyone of them were in place, no noise could be heard any more. Not even their breathing. They all stood still, in a resonating silence, waiting for orders.

Galdor and Alkien were standing away from the troops, actively discussing how things were to be organised. This supervised session of training was never meant to be. However, all the events of the two previous days taken in consideration, something had to be done. Neither one of the two Captains were thrilled about it but they were left no choice.

After a series of shared ideas, multiple frowns and scribbling on papers, Galdor and Alkien finally nodded to each other, having agreed on how to manage the newt few days of group training. One of them positioned himself on the far left of the discipled crowd, and the other stood on the far right.

"_ I am certain none of you wonder why we all are grouped here today instead of being scouting in the forest." started Galdor, scanning the soldiers with piercing eyes eyes. " You have ALL disappointed us."

Alkien repeated everything Galdor said in Avari tongue for the non-sindarin speakers. Once Galdor paused, Alkirn added:

"_ In all, 238 scouts were sent. 172 ended up wounded, and among them, most were wounded by their scouting partner." Once said in one tongue, he translated it in the other. "This is a DISGRACE!" he screamed. His voice echoed in all the soldiers ears, causing some of them to shiver. "It is unacceptable from trainees and should be reprehensible from warriors."

"_You," completed Galdor. "all need to learn to adapt fighting with one another **against the enemy** without hurting your allies in the process. Captain Alkien and I will NOT allow YOU to fail us when the time to fight comes because of disorganisation and cooperation problems."

All the soldiers' bodies tensed. Both Captains were angry and ashamed of their men. This training would not be spend in a merry and relaxed atmosphere. They would have to give it their all and to progress fast. It could have been another sweet autumn day: some people would have been scouting, most would have spent it simply hanging out with friends...but no. They all had to be there instead.

"_ Pair up with your scouting partner!" ordered Alkien. Every one obeyed and joined they partner quickly.

"_ Those whose partners are recovering from injuries, pair up together. One Avari with one wood elf." added Galdor.

The Captains met in the middle. Alkien turned towards the right side.

"_ You all are on free training today. It is not a day to rest. It is a day to train by yourselves before training under supervision. Make sure to make the best out of it. We will not babysit you for more than a week and after that, any pair with an elf wounded by their partner will be sanctioned." He warned in both tongues.

All the concerned soldiers dissolved in silence and in haste.

"_ You," Galdor turned towards the left side. " I want half of you to meet me in the shooting range to train with the bow. The rest will remain here with Captain Alkien and train with swords. You have ten minutes to decide what your tandem will be doing this morning. In five hours, you will switch activities. Any late pair will be sanctioned."

While the elves started to organize themselves, Galdor and Alkien watched them until they noticed what seemed to be two elves late for the gathering.

"_ What are you doing here?" the Captains said in unison, in their respective tongues, once they had identified the latecomers. Each of them was only addressing a different latecomer.

Sui blinked, confused as to why Galdor would talk to her with worry in his voice when they had never met.

"_ My unit was summoned," the voice came from behind her so she turned around, not answering to Alkien just yet. "I should be with them." said the blond elf, talking about the soldiers usually under his command.

Until now, Sui hadn't noticed that Legolas was behind her. He probably made sure she didn't hear him to avoided having to face her. She smiled to herself at the idea that the prince was too afraid to confront her despite the fact that their last dispute ended up in a draw since he could get her in almost as much trouble as she could get him. They both knew just enough about the other to destroy the stability in their lives.

"_ No, you should be in bed." grounded Galdor, frowning. "You look terrible." he commented looking at the prince up and down.

Legolas was pale and his posture showed that he rested all of his body's weight on only one side because his leg still hurt. _'He could faint at any moment.' _thought the elleth inspecting the Silvan while him and Galdor walked away to speak privately.

"_ You too should be resting." grumbled Alkien, bringing the Avari girl's attention back to him.

"_ I had enough sleep." she muttered, grimacing, not daring to at the giant's face. The night before, he had scolded her so severely because she had disobeyed him, again, that Albien's had to comfort her once his father was done. Alkien could be really cruel with words when pushed too far. But it was a fatherly gesture, not one of hate.

"_ There is nothing for you to do here today. Go back to the camp and lay down." calmly said the Captain.

"_ I should train too..." she insisted, finally meeting his eyes.

"_ Not with that arm." he contested.

"_ But it doesn't hurt!" she exclaimed.

"_ Sui!" he exhaled exasperated. She bit her lips in apprehension of what mean things he would come up with today. But instead of speaking, Alkien took a deep breath then stepped towards the girl to kiss her forehead before lowering himself down to her level. "Because it isn't painful doesn't justify making it worse. Now, if you don't want to go back to the camp, fine, you can watch them train." he smiled at her. " But, if you do anything reckless AGAIN, or reopen your wound, or get a second one, I will see that you are put to sleep for as long as it will take for it to heal completely." he raised his index to point at her. "I will sedate you myself if I have to. Do you understand?"

"_Yes!" she nodded, with a giant smile. She didn't have to stay in her tent all day, she could watch the other train, and Alkien didn't scold her today, yet: only things to be happy about. The day was starting pretty well for the young Avari elleth.

* * *

Sui sighed. Earlier she had been rejoicing too quickly. By "you can watch them train" she thought she would get to watch the soldiers fight, cross swords, hit each other. She thought she would get to see some action going on. But no. Alkien meant 'you can watch them train **AT the shooting range,** shooting arrows, not doing anything interesting at all'. So she he had been sitting there, for about 40 minutes, watching people throw arrows. She hated archery. She thought it was boring and not intimating enough of a fighting style : only people scared of close combat could want to learnt it.

She sighed again and let her body slide down the wall she was leaning against, throwing her head back and closing her eyes, wishing she had anything better to do.

"_ I do not mean to be rude, young lady, but you look rather pitiful right now." a voice stated. She opened her eyes. Galdor was standing in front of her, a mocking smile on his lips, hands resting on his hips. "Would you like to shoot a few arrows with the others instead of ….doing whatever it is you are doing?" he kindly offered.

"_ Thank you, but I am no good with a bow." she answered politely, slightly smiling, looking at him. "And Alkien basically forbade me to do anything." she added with a grimace.

"_ Well, Alkien is not around to see you now, is he?" he winked at her, grabbed one of the bows hanging from the wall and put it in her hands. "Just be careful, I do not wish to get in trouble with your Captain."

She stood up the bow was being pushed in her hands. Once she was holding it tight she opened her mouth to protest one last time. She really didn't care much about trying herself at archery again. And why did elders all had to send mixed signals about what to do or not to do? When one tells you not to do something, the other allows you to do it. Couldn't they all agree on one thing and stick to it? It would make everything so much easier for everyone. She hadn't produced a sound yet that Galdor was already screaming something.

"_ Ólion! Come here." he called. The younger elf ran to the Captain, wondering what he had wrong this time.

"_ Yes, Captain?" He hadn't noticed the elleth.

"_ Show the child how to use a bow.", he gestured towards Sui who was growing tired of being called a child and treated as such. "Make sure she doesn't hurt herself or you'll have to deal with two angry Captains." he threatened.

"_ Yes, Sir!" he acknowledged, then motioned for Sui to follow him.

* * *

When Sui had told him the bow wasn't her weapon, she hadn't lied. She barely knew how to hold it, and when she managed to positioned herself properly, she did not manage to aim any close the target. Her arrows went either to the wall or down on the floor. Clearly, his student would never achieve any prowess with a bow, but Ólion was still delighted to have her around. Not really because they got well along together, no, more because in the mean time he got to rest his tired arms, standing behind her, pretending that supervising her was hard work.

_'I really don't know why Legolas made such a fuss about surveilling her. She swears and barks a lot but as long as you don't provoke her, she doesn't bite. And she pays attention to what she does when asked nicely.' _he thought. Before immediately being proved wrong.

What she had just started to do was so inconceivable that he could not stop her neither with movements or words. He could only watch her do it, eyes round in panic and incomprehension .

In one hand she held the bow and with the other she was moving an arrow up and down, repetitively, cutting through the fabric of her shirt, slicing open the skin on on her back. The brown shirt was becoming darker around the now bleeding area.

After exactly 42 seconds of watching the abnormal spectacle, Ólion snatched the arrow out of her hand.

"_ By the Valar?!" he half screamed alarmed. "Why are you doing this?! Are trying you to get Galdor and I in trouble?"

She raised a brow. She looked around to make sure she hadn't hurt anyone nor broken anything that didn't belong to her. Assured that she did not do anything wrong, she threw a sceptical look at the elf.

"_ What are you talking about?", she squinted one eye.

"_ You're bleeding!" he exclaimed, pointing at her back. "You just cut your skin as if it was a cake!" He locked his eyes with hers and looked at her as though she was crazy. "You didn't even fringe!" He couldn't believe it.

Sui gesticulated around, trying to look at where her friend had pointed. She couldn't feel the wound, but she could see a stain somewhere around the middle of her back. Now that she thought about it, it was weird how the shirt felt wet and was sticking to her.

"_Argh!" she complained. "I never thought they were so sharp." she said glaring at the arrow as if to scare it away.

"_ WHAT, on middle earth, went through your mind for you to do such a thing?" asked Ólion. He was supposed to ensure the elleth wouldn't get a scratch or Galdor and, even scarier, Alkien would ensure he would get scratched.

"_ My back was itching too low so I scratched it." She pointed at the arrow "With that!" she explained.

"_ And you didn't feel like you were butchering yourself?!" his tone was ironic. She shook her head in all honesty. "Not at all?" he was curious, and doubting her. She shook her head again. "That's not possible." he insisted.

"_ Yes it is." she stated, shaking her shoulders.

He was confused, but convinced by the sincerity in her voice.

"_ Is that another Avari thing? Not being sensitive to pain?" he cocked his head to the side.

"_ No!" She rolled her eyes. "It's the simple and unfortunate result of an accident." she said. "Look I'll hide it okay? Alkien won't know about it, don't worry. I would be in as much trouble as you would if he finds out." She frowned at the idea.

"_What accident?" He coked his head to the other side and squinted both eyes. "What happened to you?" He was intrigued. What could have such a result as to deprive someone of pain?

"_ That's none of your business." She seized the the arrow Ólion had confiscated and prepared herself to shoot it. She missed the target, growled and prepared to try again. Before she could shoot, the wood elf put his hand on the top of her bow, applying pressure on it until she had to lower it and give him her attention.

"_ Is it related to the reason why you lied about your parents?" he questioned on a serious tone.

"_ No, I lied be cause I could. And was only half a lie."

"_ Then what is it about?" He saw her close on herself: she was ignoring him again and getting ready to shoot. "You know," he started " I am your only chance at a reconciliation with '_blondie_'."

"_ I don't want a reconciliation with him." she said uninterested before firing. The arrow met the ground.

"_ You don't want it, you need it." he affirmed.

"_ And why is that?" She raised the bow and fired gain. The arrow touched the white part of the target. She wasn't moved by her progress.

"_ Because he hates you and is in charge of your punishment. He **will** make it a hell while it lasts." he informed her.

"_ I would like to see him try." she said half amused.

"_ He talked about arranging for you to work in the kitchens once you recover." He saw her frown a brow, it meant she was buying it. " And until then, he thought you might adore being his Lady's companion. You know, walk around with her, make sure she has everything she needs and is well entertained."

Sui cursed under her breath. The reason why all of this was happening was Nellil. The Avari remembered perfectly how irritating it had been being around the blond elleth. She was a real princess: always demanding for services and never offering any. The idea of doing things herself probably never even crossed her mind. 'I want this!'; 'I would like that!'; 'That way would be better.' 'Actually I liked it better like it was before.'; 'You should to start over.' Nothing was good enough. And on top of that she never shut up. She constantly asked questions. When you answered one, it led to a second one, then a third, and another and another, and another...Sui hit her head with her left hand a few times, trying to silence the princess's voice echoing inside. Nope. She couldn't deal with her again. She thought he blue eyed elleth was deceiving, cunning, WICKED! She was evil in all its ingenuity: she worn people's bodies and souls out with kindness, sweet smiles and innocent inquiries to the point that her victims auto-sabotaged themselves like she was doing now.

"_ OKAY!" she screamed to shut the echo in her head once and for all. "I'll tell you everything! But you keep it to yourself! It's personal and I don't like being reminded about it."

He nodded.

* * *

**·△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△·**

* * *

The day's training had been interminable and violent. Group training was never fun; intensely supervised group training was even worse. Galdor the Tall was never one to go easy on people and with the Avari around he was stricter than ever. Most dark skinned elves used the bow in a peculiar way. First, they used smaller but denser bows with a thicker string and second, they held it horizontally. When holding a bow horizontally, you loose draw length, hence you loose power, not to mention that it is almost impossible to aim properly that way: it was a wonder how they didn't get string burned all the time and beyond normal how they actually hit the target right in the middle. As stringent as Galdor, Alkien made the close combat training a hell. He had everyone respectively tied up with strong chains on one side to their scouting partner, hand to hand, foot to foot, before having the pairs fight against one another, forcing the partners to coordinate their moves. Most wood elves fought with two short swords and used a lot of space and aerobatics while most Avari used only one heavy sword, that kept being thrown from one hand to the other depending on the attack to come, and almost danced using very little space while they fought.

All in all, it had been a physically painful day for Ólion, and it wasn't over yet. He still had to convince the prince, who in the end had been forced to spend the day in bed, to cut some slack and be pleasant to his little Avari friend to fulfil the deal he had made with her: if she lifted the mystery her physical condition, he would save her from the prince's wrath. So, sitting on branches in the wild, he had been talking to his childhood friend, taking all the needed time to explain how, while training her body endurance Sui overdosed on the poison she was trying to immune herself against, disrupting the development of small nerve fibers that carry sensations of pain, heat and cold to the brain.

"_ So...you're telling me that she doesn't feel physical pain?" asked Legolas sceptically. "As in NOT. AT. ALL?"

"_ Precisely, yes." confirmed Ólion.

"_ That is amazing!" he said envious. "She's lucky. My shoulder, my leg and my head are still killing me! I wish I could trade and be rid of all this unnecessary suffering!" complained the prince.

"_ No!" protested the slightly older elf. "You certainly don't want that burden!" he argued, sitting down to look at Legolas. "Her life must be a hell! There is a reason why bodies feel pain: to let you know of danger and illnesses. But if you have no sensation of it, someone could you burn you whilst you sleep but you wouldn't wake up!", he jerked his hands up in a sudden movement.

Legolas thought about it for a second.

"_ I am very tempted to try that on her, now." he joked.

"_ That, my friend, was not funny." Ólion used a surprisingly serious tone this time.

"_ Sorry." said the blond elf, switching to a sitting position. "I don't understand. How does her condition changes the fact that she lied to me." He frowned. "On a very delicate matter at that." he added.

"_ She only half lied." retorted the red headed elf. Legolas looked a little offended. His friend was defending a girl with behavioural issues. "Please don't look at me like that! Or at least hear me until the end before getting angry." asked Ólion. The prince granted that to his friend and relaxed his face. "I meant that she didn't lie about loosing-"

"_ Dolour?!" screamed the prince. "What a loss!" he ironically shouted, loosing his calm again. It was amazing how talking about people he didn't like worked him up.

"_ No!" yellled back Ólion. "Her identity." he corrected regaining his usual tone. " And I suspect a few friends too, but she wouldn't give any details on the subject." he completed.

"_ You lost me." Legolas admitted, confused by what he had just been told.

"_ Her family is extremely respected for their aptitude to endure all sorts of pain. This self control they are able develop over their physical envelope is what makes them very...'honourable' people." he explained.

"_ Not that nonsense about Avari and honour again, please!" whined the prince, tired of hearing about the strange tribe's pride.

"_ Honour is as important to them as partying is to your father." Ólion wanted to soften the atmosphere, to prevent his friend from walking out of the conversation. "They can live without it, but it makes them feel miserable and..." he search for the appropriate word. "Bipolar." he finished. "And, YOU, know more than any one that NO ONE wants to be anywhere near your father when he is moody."

Legolas nodded to the lazy elf's last sentence.

"_ So... You are telling me that since she has no honour I should be nicer?" summed up the Silvan.

"_ No!" he sighed. Ólion wondered if the prince was even listening at this point. "She has tons of it!" he exclaimed. "But only what she inherited from birth: her ancestors' and parent's legacy. The problem is that, on one part, she cannot identify with her family any more because she cannot walk in their steps. There is no pride in being resistant to pain if it doesn't challenges your body's limit. What leads to the other part: she cannot reconnect with the person she was nor with the person she wanted to be, and was supposed to become, because what made her that person is gone. Forever. She has to build herself a whole new prospective of life, rejecting the violent fighting culture of her tribe." He paused. " If Alkien does everything he can to keep her out of all the scouting and fighting it's not to punish her, it's because he is afraid of her suffering severe damages inside and abruptly die without anyone even knowing something was wrong with her. Not even herself." The lazy elf was dramatizing the whole story. Yes, her condition was preoccupying, but no, she didn't have any identification problem: she was 'Sui', that's all she had to know and cared about, but since every one likes a wounded bird, he would describe her as one.

"_ She still fights though." counter-argued the Silvan. "She even made beautiful blue bruises all over your arms, not so long ago, remember?" he teased, trying to change subject.

"_ Well, she hardly does anything she should be doing now, doesn't she? And at least now that I won the duel the wildling will never be disrespectful to **me**!". He stuck his tongue out at his friend. "On a more serious note, could you be more forgiving of her lunatic tendencies now that you know why she acts the way she does?"

The prince sighed. He wanted this talk to end.

"_ Why didn't she tell me that instead of lying?" he monotonously asked.

"_ Because she doesn't like to share, and obviously, that is sensitive subject."

"_ Opening up isn't my 'thing' either." said the blond elf. "Still, I almost let myself cry in fro-"

"_ You STILT DON't know her. Otherwise you would know she is good compassing. She is neither as funny or nice as Nellil is, nor is she as intriguing and smart as Unel, but she is nonetheless interesting and pleasant to talk to." cut Ólion. Legolas could act like a real high elf' sometimes, and he disliked those moments. The prince wasn't a condescending person, and didn't care much for titles but for some reasons he never fought hard to befriend people. They either went well along together from the beginning and ever after, or he gave up on getting to know them. But that is not how friendship works, and that is the reason why the younger elf had very few close friends although he knew many people, and was liked even more. "Also, you wear your emotions on your face." Legolas looked angrily at him. "Look, Legolas, you should stop all that non-sense. You just aren't that type of elf."

"_ What type of elf?" Legolas was surprised by the strange comment. He stood up and went to sit on the same branch his friend was sitting on.

"_The one who projects all of his accumulated anger and fears on a random person because they had the bad luck to commit one mistake around you when you were already on the edge of what ou could handle."

"_ I'm not project-"

"_ Yes you are!" accused the red head, cutting his friend in the process, again. " Many people have lied to you and you forgave them. But suddenly, you are making a random elfling's insignificant lie to you a bigger issue than it is." clarified Ólion. The prince wanted to argue but couldn't: all Ólion had just said was true. He didn't really care that someone he only knows from name lied to him. It was just that it had happened at the wrong moment; it was the one too much deception he could take at the time, no matter how small it was. He lowered his head, slightly ashamed by his behaviour. "I understand." reassured Ólion. " She made you doubt yourself for a moment. And If you can't have a simple child to bend to your authority, how can you keep claiming a place at the council or convince the King, or even yourself, that you deserve it." Ólion put a hand on his friend's shoulder in a friendly manner.

There was a pause.

"_ Why are you doing this?" questioned the prince. "And how did you get her to tell you all this?" he asked, finding it suspicious that the girl would share so much with Ólion while being sober when drunk, all he got her to do was to close up and lie.

"_ The answer to both question is-" he hesitated a second "because she is my friend. And I would appreciate to hang out with the two people, who's company I enjoy the most, at the same time." he explained.

"_ You're lying!" accused Legolas intrigued by what his friend was trying to hide. "Your two 'favourite people' are Gilion, because he gives you alcohol, and Aelrindel who cooks for you! Now, what's the real reason?"

Ólion laughed.

"_ I do want to hang out with you both." he repeated. "But I also would very much like to see her green eyed friend more. And I don't want her to hate me by association, because my best friend is a '_dwarf orc'_ to her est frendb." he admitted, using some of the Avari words she taught him.

"_ You, my friend, are selfish! What about MY pride?!" joked the prince. "Why did she share so much with you?"

"_ I forced her to... I lied to her..."

"_ What?!" shouted the blond elf. The guerilla started because of a lie, Ólion knew it, and he tried to solve it with another one.

"_ Think about it! It's only fair!" started the red head. "She lied to you, I lied to her. The two of you are even now." he smirked. "I got revenge for you!" he laughed. "Will you go easy on her now, please?" implored Ólion.

"_ I can't promise anything." said Legolas on a teasing tone. "I will try to think about it." he added, looking away, pretending he hadn't already made his mind on the subject.


	12. Chapter 12: Everything starts now

**Chapter 11: Everything starts now**

**So, just letting you know that the story actually really just starts from now on! All the relationship sill evolve **

* * *

"_ What are you doing here?" yawned Sui.

The elleth was laying on her mattress like a starfish since the night before, only half awake. Alkien had found out about her cuts in the back and, like he promised, he made sure she would not be able to get out of her bed thanks to a good lot of horehound dissimulated in her tea.

It was now late in the morning, almost noon, and Ólion had appeared out of nowhere in her tent.

"_ I'm here to check on you." said Ólion as if it was obvious. She raised a brow out of disbelief. "It's my fault you're not out doing...whatever it is you usually do. So yes, I am here to make sure you are doing well!" he insisted.

"_ Are you sure you aren't here to ask me about Mhéléane?" She smirked. His intentions were surely good and touching but definitely not uninterested. They weren't so close that he would go through the whole Avari camp just to make sure she was fairing well when all she had were almost fully healed cuts.

Ólion returned her smirk and nodded, before laying down besides her. By making her think he was helping her, he had of course hoped she would help him in return.

"_ I put in a few good words for you to Legolas." He stretched. " All you have to do now is to apologize personally and aaaaaaaaaaall will be forgiven."

"_ So... prince-face won't have me be his fiancée's maid again?" she asked dubiously.

"_ You know, to be honest, I don't think he could ever come up with such an idea." He turned around in the mattress to lay on his side and face her. "Nor actually dare to do that to you. I think you scare him quite a bit". He chuckled a little picturing his best friend confronting the girl again.

"_ So you **lied** to me!?"she screamed before pinching Ólion's arm so hard his skin turned blue.

"_ Ouch!" he groaned. " Yes, I lied!" he admitted. " But you, Avari, don't give us any sort of information about anything. We have to force it all out of you." he complained.

Sui didn't answer. What was there to answer? It was true. They had all been ordered not to talk about the reason why they came here. It had to be discussed with the King first, when the time would come. Subsequently most of them closed up about everything, afraid that if they befriended wood elves, they would drop some secrets here and there. Still, quite a few -too much in the elleth's opinion- seemed to have found their other half among wood elves already. 'Love doesn't care about time' one of them told her when she had asked him how he could have fallen for someone he hadn't even known for more than a week yet.

"_ What did you tell 'his highness' to get me back on his bright side?" she finally ask.

"_ Exactly everything you told me not to say," he said grimacing " with a little extra drama!" He grinned.

"_ So, basically, you lied to someone who is angry because he has been lied to?" She spoke slowly, articulating every syllable to emphasized the absurdity of it all. Ólion nodded with a proud smile on his face. "You're a genius!" She burst out in laughter.

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Fully healed, but still sore from the poisoning, Legolas decided to take the day off of all of his obligations in order to rest and be fresh for the party. Being careful to avoid every one, and especially his father, so that no one would ask him anything, he snuggled in the kitchen by the back to get himself one of the pie meant for the party. He could smell all of the delicious recipes from his room and it has been a torture for two days to know about those delicious creations and not be able to touch it. He wanted one, and he was going to get one. Who would notice one missing pie, anyway?

The blond elf tiptoed his way to the shelves, grabbed a plate, turned around to run away like a bugler only to be grabbed by the collar and pushed against a wall. He dropped the pie.

"_ You're a hard elf to find my lord." Unel's body was close to his. Very close. So close in fact that their chest were touching and her breath was gently caressing his neck every time she breathed out. "Or perhaps, were you avoiding me?" she jokingly accused.

Legolas became pale. "Were you actually avoiding me?" She took her hands off him, offended by what she had just found out.

"_ No, I wasn't!" he exclaimed. "I have just bee-"

"_ You're a terrible liar." she cut him. "I don't buy it for second."

"_ Okay... I **was** avoiding you." he admitted. "I'm sorry."

"_ Very well then I guess I should leave you to yourself." Unel was not the kind to let an elf get her spirit down, but having someone trying to keep away from her was a first. It hurt, and it was unjustified: she had only ever been affectionate and devoted to him. She put some distance between them. She would rather leave now with dignity than stain her honour by begging him for an explanation. If he had any common sense or cared for her, he would apologize better than that, and fast.

"_ No, please, don't be angry." He grabbed her waist and pulled her close to him again. " It is just that...since I am betrothed, I can't-"

"_ You have been betrothed from birth. It didn't use to be a problem before I leave for Rivendell..." She didn't pull back but stayed stiff as if not wanting to be touched by him.

"_ And it wasn't...but you left about a thousand years ago." he explained. "During that time, many things changed between Nellil and I."

"_ What about 'things' between us? Did they change too?"

She was stubborn and he wasn't in the mood for a fight. Today, he wanted peace. He didn't have the strength for a confrontation like this one and didn't want to lie.

"_ I thought they had changed. And now, you are back in Eryn Lasgalen. I see you and...I have feelings for you...and I have feelings for Nellil...I-I ...Idon't even know what to say. I don't know what I want any more..."

Worked out by the question and confused as to what his feelings were for the ellith, he released Unel to bring his hands to his face. He was slightly disoriented and his breathing was becoming heavier. It was like the poison was still having some effect on him, although, there wasn't enough left in his body to affect him, now.

Noting that due to her questions the prince was showing the first symptoms of a panic attack, Unel resolved to let go of the matter for now, and distract him so that he would regain his cool.

"_ Legolas, calm down. Do not worry about it so much. I wouldn't want it to distract you so much you would fall from another tree." she teased, playfully pushing his shoulder.

The joke managed to make him laugh a little. Legolas could feel air going through his lungs again. He could also feel embarrassment from being reminded about the incident.

In a pathetic attempt at revenge for being made fun of, Legolas started to tickle Unel. Her laugh was very feminine and mixed with pleads for him to stop, which encouraged him to keep going. With Nellil he couldn't act that way: she would always try her best to avoid being touched before eventually giving in. He didn't like to make her uncomfortable and having to insist to get a simple caress felt wrong most of the time. It was a nice change be in contact with someone who welcomed his touch so openly.

Since she gesticulated a lot because of the tickling, Unel ended up walking back until she met a wall and couldn't move away any more. The prince, fully aware that he had trapped his pray, slowed his tickling motion then changed it into caresses. Unel didn't try to escape him any more. As he unhurriedly ran his hands from her waist, to her chest then wrapped them softly around her face, she gently put hers on his torso, waiting for him to kiss her. But he didn't. He just stared into her eyes, with lust filling his.

"_ Will you not kiss me, my Lord?" she asked him on a sensual tone, hopping he would make a move.

"_ No." he said on a serious tone. He grinned. "Not yet."

Legolas plunged his face in her neck, not kissing it, just lightly brushing her skin with his lips. He could feel her getting more impatient by the second: every time she felt his breath on her neck, she tensed her grip on his tunic.

The blond elf suddenly brought his hands back to her waist and pulled her closer to him, so that their bodies touched. A the same time, he lifted his head to look at her face again. He brought his lips extremely close to hers but didn't press them together.

"_ Legolas, kiss me. Now." her voice was low and cracked from longing.

He ignored her order and lowered his gaze to her chest. He was undoing the laces on the front of her dress, to have her wait some more.

Incapable of keeping her composure any longer, Unel put her hands around the prince's face and kissed him passionately. Proud of the effect he had on the elleth, he smiled while their lips pressed together.

Legolas was now holding her face with his hands to kiss her. She used hers to caress his torso under his tunic. His white skin was as smooth as she remembered and his abdomen contracted under her touch.

The feeling of Unel's hands exploring his body increased his blood pressure. His body felt warmer than usual and his desire to rub his body against someone else's was quickly rising out of control in chest.

He pulled away to attack her neck. When his lips met her skin, he heard a loud noise coming from the front kitchen. Cooks. They were back. He pulled away from his mistress in less than a second and walked back until he met a wall. When Legolas let go of her, Unel turned around and started to lace back her dress.

The cooks hadn't seen them, yet, since they were in the back kitchen, hidden by a wall. Still, the two elves looked at each other alarmed: they had almost been caught in a very compromising position. If the king was to hear about what had just happened, he would probably have Unel sent far away and Nellil would cry until not a single drop of water would be left in her body.

Not wanting to inspire doubts about the nature of her relationship with prince, the green eyed elleth motioned to the prince to leave by the back door. To show that he appreciated her discretion he took her hand for a second, smiled at her then ran out.

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Not caring if he was violating Sui's privacy, Alkien entered her tent without announcing himself first. Once inside, finding an non-welcomed surprise, Alkien furrowed his brows.

"___Who are you?_"_ his voice was grave. The fact that he was not pleased to see an elf laying in his -almost- daughter's bed was obvious.

The two friends hadn't heard Alkien, nor Albien, enter. Hearing the grounding and angry voice of Alkien caused Ólion to get out of the bed in a jump. The redhead felt as thought he had been caught doing something 'forbidden' when Sui and him had only been talking. There wasn't a single drop of romance in their relationship, yet this situation was awfully awkward and embarrassing.

"_ My name is Ólion, sir!" he said, doing the Sindar military salute to greet the captain.

"_ Are you the elf who cut open her arm in a duel?"

"_ Yes, I am." Ólion looked at the floor in shame "I'm sorry, Captain. It was an accident. I never meant to hur-"

"_ I certainly hope it wasn't an accident." cut the Captain. "If you feel sorry to wound your adversary, you should consider trading your soldier costume for another one." Ólion nodded. "Now get out of here!" ordered the Captain.

"__ Are you here to check on my arm too?"_ Asked Sui, still comfortably laying on the bed. She had gotten used to Alkien, and Albien barging in her tent without warning for a reason or another.

"_ _For that and one other thing_." Said the Giant, still thinking about how inappropriate it was that Ólion had been alone with Sui in a tent for not even the Valar knows why nor how long. _"Albien, please have a look at her wounds."_

Albien passed his father on the side and sat down on the elleth's mattress. Too lazy to sit up, she rolled closer to him and held her arm up for him to have a look at.

"__ What's the other thing?"_ questioned the girl."_ No wait,_" she interrupted before the Captain could answer. _"Is it good news or bad news? I mean, do I want to kno-_"

"__ Calm down!"_ ordered Alkien, to shut her up. "_I came here to tell you in person that, I think, it is time for you to begin a personal trainee-ship."_

Hearing the good news, Sui moved to sitting position so quickly that she hit Albien's head with hers. Rubbing her forehead with her good arm and a smile parting her face in two, she asked:

"_ _Are you actually telling me that I can join the committee? That I can assist to your secret reunions with The Colossal and be part of the people who decide-?"_

"_ _You won't be deciding anything._" warned Alkien. Sui's smile dropped a little. "_You will only give your opinion when asked to. And I don't want you calling Geldrick that."_

Proud of his sister, Albien gave her a tap on the back, and a warm smile on his face. But his reaction only awakened suspicion in the ellerth's mind. Alkien had expressed his mind on the subject many times before: he didn't think she had it in her to become a Captain one day, so there was no point in training her. And Albien...Albien was over protective and did every thing possible to keep her out of harm and this formation implied a lot of fighting. If he had had his father's approval he would have kicked Ólion's ass after he had injured her.

_'What are they both up to?_' she wondered.

"__ I thought that since I was nit of age yet..._" she started, "_I mean...You said I wasn't mature nor strong enough to train to become Captain._" She made it obvious she was suspecting they were trying to trick her. "_Besides, you already are training Albien. Why would you want train me too when you don't have to, nor actually want to- or did not want to a few days ago?_

"__ You are right, I don't think you are not tailored to become Captain._" confirmed Alkien. "_Albien is the one who talked me into it._" Sui turned her face around try and look at Albien who was now checking the cuts on her back. "_He thinks you act like a child not because you are one, but because you are treated like one. So from now on, I will see that you are regarded as an adult by every on_e."

"_ _Does all that mean that my sanction is over?_" She squinted her eyes, and crossed her fingers. She might not have to see the arrogant prince's face any more.

"_ _No._" The Captain's answer was sharp and immediate.

"__ Oh..._" she answered, disappointed.

"_ _I thought you would be happier than that not having to spy on us any more when we meet._" cheered Albien, applying a disinfectant paste on the girl's back.

"_ _You know about that?!_" she turned her head in a brusque movement.

"_ _Everybody knows about that_." said Albien.

"__ You breathe so heavily it is a wonder how you survived in FellSvogee_." added Alkien. Sui growled.

"_ _Your arm is all good. By tomorrow both wounds will be completely closed and the day after there won't even be a scar left._" He playfully passed his hand through her hair, shaking it to tease her. She pushed him away with a hand. Alkien rolled his eyes. '_You put the smart one near the dumb one hoping it will help but only idiotism is contagious._' The Captain smiled interiorly: it warmed his heart to see how fond of each other they grew despite how different they are.

"_ _Kids,_" he interrupted. "_We are meeting tomorrow night, two hours before the king's party. I expect you there, and on time._" Not waiting for an answer, Alkien left.

"__ We'll be there!_" screamed Sui, hoping he had heard.

* * *

**IMPORTANT! After this chapter I won't be able to upload anything for about a month because I'm moving to another country and won't have any access to the internet for a while. But I'll keep writing and I'll submit everything I should have at once as soon as I can.**


	13. Chapter 13: Old Foes always come back

**Chapter 12: Old foes always come back  
**

Sui was growing impatient. She had been standing there for for exactly 37 minutes and 56 seconds, listening to Alkien, Albien and Geldrick argue for a yes or a no. The three older elves made it clear when she arrived that she was only asked to be present, not actually expected nor allowed to take part in the debate nor give her opinion at any point. According to Geldrick, by listening to them, she would learn how to separate important information from futile ones and according to Alkien, she didn't posses any information they didn't already have so listening to her would only be a waste of time.

The elves were having a serious debate about the orcs. The vile creatures seemed to be more numerous than they had anticipated. Also, they proved to be a lot more organized and creative in their attacking tactics than they had ever been before: during the scouting, before the general training, they succeeded on making many victims. No one had died, but some came really close to it. And even more peculiar, only two orcs were actually seen, the rest stayed hidden.

Unnerved that they didn't let her place a word, Sui violently threw her arguments on the table. Literally.

"_ _Arrows?_" said Albien, thinking the girl was only trying to disrupt the discussion because she couldn't take part in it.

"_ _How dare you interrupt! This isn't a joke, we aren't here to-_"

"__ Look at them closer!_" she screamed, angry, interrupting the Colossal, pointing at the two arrows she just threw on the table. She couldn't believe they thought she would interfere if she had nothing relevant to say.

"__ They're different_." noted Albien, picking one them up. "_This one is ours_." He put it further away and piked the other one up. "_And this one was made by wood elves, if I'm not mistaking_."

"_ _What a waste of time_." Alkien's tone was sharp.

"__ No, it's not! Trust me!_" The elleth reached for her bag and took another arrow out of it. " _Now look at this one._" She put it in Alkien's hands. Not even giving it a glance, he passed it to his son. Albien examined it for a few seconds then put it down on the table, with the two first arrows.

"_ _It is orc made._" said the Captain's son.

"_ _No, it isn't_." retorted Sui, on a grave tone. "_Look closer._"

Albien picked it up again, analysed the sharp tip, turned it around and studied the other end. A microscopic symbol caught his eyes. Almost as soon as he noticed it, his face went pale, and his mouth dropped open.

"_ _What is going on?_" asked the Colossal, taking the arrow out Albien's hands.

"_ _This arrow isn't orcs's. It is Hwenti* made._" said the elleth. Alkien's opened his eyes wide. "_They engraved their symbol on it, in small, on the tail. _" She pointed at it. "_They just made it look like an orcish arrow."_

"_ _Where did you get that arrow?_" asked Alkien. Everything was clearer now. The reason why almost no orcs were seen, why arrows were used more than swords, and why they were so well organised. Orcs wren't attacking them, Hwedi (another Avari tribe) were ; an enemy Avari tribe. Hwendi and Kinn-lai have been fighting in FellSogee ever since they settled down there, away from the rest of the world. The two tribes grew very wild and more hostile towards each other every single day they spent in the underground forest. The last couple hundreds of years, in addition to their ever lasting war, both tribe had been facing a new challenge: the collapse of FellSvogee. The cave was falling apart: rocks bigger than Geldrick fell from the roof and killed elves every day. It was only a question of months, or maybe a year or two, until the whole cave subsided.

Knowing Avari weren't popular among other elves, Kinn-lai (Sui's tribe) were quick to react: they decided to reveal their existence and to be as friendly as they could in order to be accepted and eventually be given a place to settle down in the outside world and some help to retrieve the rest of the Kinn-lai still in FellSvogee.

"__ I took it at the infirmary._" she started, " _It's the arrow the prince was shot with. I got suspicious when I saw how the prince was affected by the poison. Orc poison is meant to kill and still have really strong effect once extracted. But the prince..." _she tilted her head to the side "H_e only had a headache and balance issues. Since Hwendi poison strongly disorient in order to make the victim weaker...well I suspected the arrow could be theirs._"

"__ Could orcs and Hwendi be teaming up against us?_" asked Albien.

"_ _No, I doubt it._" answered the Captain calmly. "_They are only using orcs as a cover to attack without being noticed._"

"_ _Why would they come all the way here?_" Geldrick was having a hard time believing all this was happening.

"_ _Probably for the same reason we did. And Eryn Lasgalen is the closest elven forest from home._" Alkien pulled back his hair.

"_ _Why are they attacking then? Could it be because we came here first?_" questioned Albien.

"_ _They aren't that petty_." Alkien paused for moment. "_I don't know what their purpose is but... they will also be out of a home too, soon. So, I am guessing that they want this forest for themselves. And having found us here.._." He sighed "_They won't go easy on the wood elves because we are staying here_."

"_ _Wait! When you say staying here, you mean it as in for the time being, right? We are not merging in with the wood elves, are we?_" asked Sui.

"_ _The situation in Fell' must have gotten worse if the Hwendi are here.._." said Alben, worried about his mother and the rest of his friends still there.

"_ _Don't worry boy, the queen would have sent us a messenger if things were that bad_." reassured Geldrick.

"_ _Maybe she did. And maybe he was caught and killed by the Hwendi._" retorted Sui with a trembling voice. Albien put a hand on her shoulder and brought her close to him. Her whole family was there and she hadn't had any news from them ever since the troop left home, about three months ago.

"__ Let's stop the speculations here._" interrupted the giant. " _I will go talk to King Thranduil now and we'll decide on what to do together. You can all retire and get ready for the party tonight._"

Geldrick bowed and left. The elf was always more formal than needed with his Captain. Albien and Sui made their way to the tent door but Alkien stopped them.

"_ _Sui, I am proud of you._" he said. Then with a smile, he did the Avari military salute to her, a great mark of respect, but with only one hand since he is her superior.

* * *

***Acording to Tolkien Gateaway, Avari is a name of elf tribe that is divided in six group. Kinn-laï and Hwenti are part of them***

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* * *

"_ LEGOLAS!" The elleth threw herself in his arms.

The elf's was trying to return to his room after a long and annoying argument his father about why he refused to wear matching robes -or a simply a robe for that matter- to go to the party.

"_ Nellil, what is going on?" Are you all right?"

"_ No I am not!" she half cried, shaking her head against his chest.

"_ What happened?" He wrapped his arms around her. She enjoyed the embrace for a small while then pulled back a little to see his face.

"_ The party will start soon and I don't fit in my dress any more!" She held the dress up for him to see. "I think I ate too much cake these past few days..." Hearing this, the elf chuckled. "Legolas! This isn't funny!" She pouted and hit his arm.

"_ My lady, this is not the dress my father had made for you." She looked confused. "This," he took the dress "is the dress I had made for Galdor's niece on his order. She is still a little elfling.". He laughed while Nellil realising her mistake blushed and ran away.

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On the castle's roof terrace, harpist were charming the crowd with transcendent music, the waiters were busy serving wine and delicacies and both Avari and wood elves joyfully danced together. Legolas and Ólion had just made their entrance but people were already stopping them almost each time they took a step in order to talk to their beloved prince. In the middle of the amassed number of people welcoming Legolas, Sui was kicking and biting to make her way to him. She wanted to apologize quickly and forget about all this as fast as possible.

The prince was doing his best to keep smiling but seeing Sui's head emerge from the group that was harassing him made him grimace.

The girl handed something to him. Some sort of paper, perhaps a manuscript.

"_Take this." said the girl.

Legolas took a small step back.

"_ I don't want anything from yo-"

"_ Yes, you do. Trust me." she cut him and pushed it against his chest before letting go of the paper leaving the elf no choice but to grab so that it wouldn't fell on the floor.

Without looking at it, he rolled it and pushed his way through the crowd to find a place to sit.

Sitting at the main table, the party King, Alkien and Galdor talked merrily while Gilion and Geldrick engaged in a drinking contest. On another table Mhélir, Albien and Sui were still eating when Mhéléane joined them and hit the table with her hands, making her brother drop the fruit he was eating.

"_ _SUI! Have you seeeeen their king!_" Her eyes were wide and she was smiling like an Avari child who had been given her first weapon.

Sui chuckled. She knew why Mhéléane was so exited: she had,indeed, seen what the king looked like.

"__ I know right? He is nothing like his son!_" she joked.

Albien sent a confused look to Mhélir who seemed to understand what was going on.

"__ They think King Thranduil is good looking."_ explained Mhélir. Albien rolled his eyes and shook his head: did they really had nothing better to talk about?

"__ 'Good looking'?"_ repeated Mhéléane on a disapproving tone.

"__ He is NOT 'good looking', he is GORGEOUS!" completed Sui. "Just look at him!" S_he turned her head to look in his direction and all the others did the same.

"__ His hair,"_ started Mhéléane._ "his eyes, his lips, his body! PERFECT! Everything is perfect!"_

Mhélir and Albien exchanged a desperate look.

"__ Mhéléane!"_ Sui stood up. _"I challenge you!"_

"__ Not again!"_complained Mhélir.

"__ This is not going to end well."_ said Albien stroking the side of his head.

Ignoring him, the two ellith continued:

"__ What's the challenge?"_ asked the younger girl.

"__ The first one to get to touch him, in any way, wins." _Sui smirked. She loved challenges. Especially when she fixated the rules: it made them easier for her to win.

"__ Challenge accepted!"_ exclaimed Mhéléane before sitting down while Sui swallowed the rest of alcohol left in her glass at once before standing up and making her way to the king's table, leaving her three friends wondering what was her plan.

Once at the king's table, not caring that she was interrupting a conversation, Sui sat on Alkien's laps. The three sober elves stared at her, not sure about what the girl was doing.

She opened her mouth but not knowing what to say she closed it right away. Not waiting for the girl to do or say something he will have to apologize for, with gesture of the hand, Alkien signalled to Albien to get him rid of Sui. Albien did it discretely: he walked up to the King's table, apologized for the intrusion, picked the girl up and carried her away on his shoulder.

"_ Forgive her, she is not quite right in the head." offered Alkien.

"_ Is she your daughter?" asked the King.

"_ No, she isn't" He turned his head round to look at the girl who was being scolded by Albien. "Although, I think of her as such."

"_ Thranduil," started Galdor. "the girl," He pointed at Sui. "she is the one who keeps your son so occupied he has to change his shifts on the wall and still manages to be late."

Thranduil lost his composure and dropped the glass of wine he was holding. He put both his hands on the table, turned his head to the left to look at Galdor with shocked eyes then turned his head to the right to look at Alkien with piercing angry eyes, waiting for an explanation.

"_ Do not worry, my king," said Alkien, amused by the situation. " they are not having an affair. They despise each other." The king finally breathed out and relaxed. He picked his glass up and filled it wine. "And Galdor, the girl will be busy from now on so the prince will not have any excuses to justify his lateness."

"_ Are you hanging her sanction?" asked Galdor.

"_ No, but I am shortening it As a reward for noticing the arrow is Hwendi." answered the Avari Captain.

The king looked at the girl from affar.

"_ It seems she is a keen elfling after all" commented the king.

"_ Look at her!" exclaimed Ólion. "Isn't she gorgeous?"

"_ She looks like a younger female version of Mhélir..." answered the prince, looking at Mhéléane from the dark corner where he was sitting in order to avoid attention. He didn't like parties very much: too many people, too many drunk people and too many drunk people who tried to get him to dance. It's not that he didn't enjoy dancing, he simply wasn't good at it. Plus, once he agreed to dance with one elleth, al the other ellith found their courage and asked for him to make them dance too. Not wanting to disappointed any one, he complied and ended up dancing himself to exhaustion.

"_ They're siblings, it is normal."

"_ Honestly, could you kiss her and not think it is Mhélir that you are kissing?"

Ólion took his eyes off Mhéléane to look at his friend. Disgust was showing on his face.

"_ Sometimes, I worry about your imagination Legolas."

"_ I can't believe it!" half screamed the prince. He stood up straight in his chair, a shocked look on his face.

"_ What?" Ólion was confused at Legolas' sudden burst out of lethargic state.

"_ Look! The pest and Mhélir!" He pointed at them "They're leaving and he is holding her by the waist."

"_ HAHAHAHA!" Ólion pat the prince's back. "Tonight, your future wife is ignoring you, the woman you desire you can't touch and the one you dislike is about to have sex." He laughed. "This is karma Legolas, you better make things right in your life if you don't want it to get worse."

Irritated by the whole situation, the blond elf brought his head to the table. His forehead still on the table he opened his eyes and saw his mother's face, what made him jump on both his feet. Ólion was too focused on Mhéléane to witness his friend's agitation.

Breathing heavily the prince stared at the his mother's face on the table. The paper he had rolled up and not looked at had unrolled itself and had been laying flat on the table without him noticing it. The drawing had obviously not been made by a professional but was good enough for him to recognize his mother. On the top right corner, a note saying "You overreacted but I might have too. So we're square." was written. He chose to ignore it and stared at the portrait instead. Some traits were exaggerated and the nose wasn't quite the same as on the portraits present in his father's room but the warmth in her eyes was exactly as he remembered it.

It was all very disturbing. He stared at the drawing a few more seconds, picked it up, folded it, put it in his pocket then gulped down his cup of wine. He wanted someone to hold him. Tight. He could ask Nellil but she was busy dancing with a half shaved Avari wiith curly hair and seemed to be having too much fun for him to disturb her at the moment. He could look for comfort from his father...but he rather not. It was out of question to hug Ólion.

Just as he realised that there was no one by who he wanted to be seen vulnerable by, he saw Unel leave the party. _'Good. A distraction.'_ he thought as he put his cup back on the table and walked after the elleth who was leaving.

The corridor was dark. All he could see was Unel's slender shape slowly melting in the shadows. He kept following her until he heard it. He heard that voice, the one that **sent chills down his spin**. Then he heard that other voice, the one that meant **danger** to him. '_Elrohir, Elladan...No! Why are they already here?!'_


End file.
